As an associate justice in the mid-1960s, Ishida penned a dissenting opinion in a Grand Bench decision limiting criminal prosecution of labor leaders.
This was a contributing factor to his appointment as Chief Justice by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1968, in an attempt to give the court more conservative leadership at a time when Japan saw massive radical student demonstrations.
One of Ishida's final decisions, in 1973, expanded police powers to punish demonstrators.
[2] After his tenure as Chief Justice, Ishida formed the National Congress to Achieve Legislation of the Gengo System in order to establish a law authorizing the Emperor to determine Japanese era names.
[3] Ishida was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun and a member of the All Japan Kendo Federation.