Punjab and Haryana High Court Now Has 19 Women Judges, a Historic First
Punjab Haryana High Court Women Judges strength has touched a historic high, with the count reaching 19 following the swearing-in of nine additional judges on August 21 — including three women. For the first time in the court’s more than century-old history, women now make up a record share of the bench, a shift legal observers are calling significant for how the court handles matters of gender justice going forward.
Key Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| New Total of Women Judges | 19 (record high) |
| New Judges Sworn In | 9 (including 3 women) |
| New Women Judges | Monica Chhibber Sharma, Puja Chopra, Divya Sharma |
| Administered By | Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra |
| Previous Women Judges Count | 16 |
Who Took the Oath
The nine advocates elevated as Additional Judges are Monica Chhibber Sharma, Harmeet Singh Deol, Pravindra Singh Chauhan (Haryana’s Advocate-General), Rajesh Gaur, Puja Chopra, Sunish Bindlish, Minderjeet Yadav, Divya Sharma, and Ravinder Malik. The oath was administered by Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra at a ceremony in Chandigarh attended by sitting and retired judges, senior bureaucrats, relatives of the new appointees, and members of the legal fraternity.
How the Appointments Came About
The path to this Punjab Haryana High Court Women Judges milestone began months earlier — the Supreme Court Collegium recommended their elevation as far back as May 2026, and the Centre formally notified the appointments only on August 20, more than three months after the collegium’s recommendation. This gap between recommendation and notification is fairly typical for High Court appointments in India, though it often draws attention from legal commentators tracking judicial vacancies.
Who’s on the Bench Now
With this addition, the full list of women judges on the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench includes Justice Alka Sarin, Justice Archana Puri, Justice Lapita Banerji, Justice Nidhi Gupta, Justice Amarjot Bhatti, Justice Manisha Batra, Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeewan, Justice Sukhvinder Kaur, Justice Sudeepti Sharma, Justice Kirti Singh, Justice Mandeep Pannu, Justice Rupinderjit Chahal, Justice Shalini Singh Nagpal, Justice Aaradhna Sawhney, Justice Ramesh Kumari, and Justice Neerja K. Kalson, joined now by the three newly sworn-in judges.
Why This Milestone Matters
Greater representation of women on the bench is widely seen as likely to bring a more sensitive and inclusive approach to cases concerning women, children, and gender justice more broadly. Legal observers note that diversity on the bench isn’t just symbolic — it often shapes how courts interpret and apply the law in cases touching on domestic matters, workplace disputes, and family law, where lived experience can meaningfully inform judicial perspective. It is also being seen as a step toward better balancing perspectives within one of India’s largest and busiest High Courts, which serves Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh together.
Punjab Haryana High Court Women Judges
This article is based on official court announcements and regional news reports as of publication. For the complete list of current High Court judges, refer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s official website.
