Who is Justice Arun Palli, New Chief Justice of J&K and Ladakh High Court?

At a formal ceremony held today at the Convention Centre in Jammu, Justice Arun Palli was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. He made and subscribed to the oath of office before the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of J&K, Manoj Sinha.

Justice Arun Palli was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the retirement of former Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan on April 9. After Justice Tashi's retirement, Justice Sanjeev Kumar served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Palli's name shortly before Justice Rabistan's retirement, and the central government officially approved the appointment on April 12, 2025. 

Prior to this elevation, Justice Palli served as a judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Born on September 18, 1964, he comes from a distinguished legal family. His father, Prem Kishan Palli, was a senior advocate and later served as a judge at the Himachal Pradesh High Court, retiring in 1998.

Who is Justice Arun Palli?

Born on September 18, 1964, Justice Arun Palli hails from a distinguished legal family in Patiala. His great-grandfather, the late Lachchman Dass Palli, and grandfather, the late Lajpat Rai Palli, were reputed members of the District Bar of Patiala. His father, Justice Prem Kishan Palli, was a senior advocate who later served on the bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court until his in 1998.

Justice Palli graduated in commerce and completed his Bachelor of Laws from Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 1988. He commenced his legal practice at the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

Justice Arun Palli gained expertise in diverse areas of law, including civil, criminal, constitutional, revenue, industrial, and labor law. He was appointed Additional Advocate General for Punjab on September 1, 2004, a position he held until March 2007.

He was designated as a Senior Advocate on April 26, 2007, and served as Amicus Curiae in various contentious matters before the High Court. He handled subjects involving important legal propositions before Division and Full Benches and also appeared before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, and the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in several notable cases.

Justice Palli was elevated to the Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 28, 2013. He has also served as Executive Chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority since May 31, 2023, and was nominated as a Member of the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) on October 31, 2023, for a two-year tenure.

Appointed as Chief Justice of J&K on April 12

Justice Palli was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of and Ladakh via Notification No. K.13021/01/2025-US.I dated April 12, 2025, and took the oath of office on April 16, 2025.

The central government officially appointed Justice Arun Palli as the new chief justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, following the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium.

The Ministry of Law and Justice issued the formal notification, while Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal shared the news on the social media platform X.

"Exercising the powers vested by the Constitution of India, the President of India, following consultation with the Chief Justice of India, has appointed Justice Arun Palli, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, effective from the date he assumes office. I extend my best wishes to him," Meghwal posted.