Nine Advocates Sworn in as Additional Judges of Punjab and Haryana HC

Nine advocates were sworn in as Additional Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court at a ceremony held on Friday, August 21, 2026, marking a significant addition to the strength of the High Court's Bench. 

The newly appointed Additional Judges are Monica Chhibber Sharma, Harmeet Singh Deol, Pravindra Singh Chauhan, Rajesh Gaur, Puja Chopra, Sunish Bindlish, Minderjeet Yadav, Divya Sharma and Ravinder Malik. The swearing-in ceremony was scheduled at 3:30 PM at the High Court Auditorium in Chandigarh. 

The appointments follow the Central Government's notification dated August 20, 2026, issued after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of advocates to the Bench. The appointments have been made under Article 224(1) of the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of Additional Judges of High Courts where there is a temporary increase in judicial business or a need to address arrears. The appointments are for a period of two years and take effect from the date the appointees assume charge. 

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, had on May 4, 2026, recommended ten advocates for elevation to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The recommendation included Monica Chhibber Sharma, Harmeet Singh Deol, Puja Chopra, Sunish Bindlish, Navdeep Singh, Divya Sharma, Ravinder Malik, Pravindra Singh Chauhan, Rajesh Gaur and Minderjeet Yadav. 

However, Navdeep Singh, who was among the ten names recommended by the Collegium, was not included in the Central Government's August 20 appointment notification. No reason for his exclusion has been stated in the appointment announcement. 

The elevation also brings several experienced government law officers to the Bench. Pravindra Singh Chauhan was serving as the Advocate General of Haryana, while Rajesh Gaur and Minderjeet Yadav have served as Additional Advocate Generals for Haryana. Harmeet Singh Deol was serving as Additional Advocate General of Punjab. 

The appointments are expected to strengthen the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has been dealing with substantial vacancies and a heavy caseload. At the time of the Collegium's May recommendation, the High Court had a sanctioned strength of 85 judges but was functioning with 58 judges. The addition of the nine judges is therefore significant for judicial capacity and the disposal of pending matters across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. 

The swearing-in of the nine Additional Judges marks the latest step in the ongoing process of strengthening the High Court's judicial infrastructure and addressing the need for greater Bench strength.