CJI Surya Kant Inaugurates Ladakh High Court Bench, Hails Centre’s Move To Bring Justice Closer To People
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant today inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of J&K and Ladakh High Court at Leh, bench to begin hearing cases on October 21
CJI Kant has said the new bench of the High Court will significantly enhance access to justice for citizens living in remote areas of Ladakh.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on Sunday inaugurated the newly established Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Leh, marking a significant step towards improving access to justice in the Union Territory.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Supreme Court Judges Justices MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha and N Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and other judicial and administrative officials.
The establishment of the Bench fulfils a long-standing demand of the people of Ladakh, who have faced geographical challenges in accessing High Court services. The new facility is expected to reduce the need for litigants to travel outside the Union Territory for proceedings before the High Court.
Congratulating the Centre on its decision to set up a bench at Ladakh, the CJI said, "I wholeheartedly congratulate the Government of India, Union Territory Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and all officials of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court for this step."
The Centre approved the establishment of the Ladakh Bench in August 2026. Subsequently, the President promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026, which came into force on September 5. The High Court selected Leh as the location for the Bench's sittings on October 5.
In August Home Minister Amit Shah, through a post on his X wrote, "This will significantly enhance access to justice for citizens living in remote areas of Ladakh by reducing the time required to avail themselves of the legal services they are entitled to. The Govt is fully committed to the all-round development of Ladakh and to ensuring constitutional safeguards."
The Ladakh Bench is scheduled to commence hearings on October 21. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjay Parihar is expected to hear five cases on the opening day. Justice Parihar is also scheduled to preside over a Single Judge Bench on October 22 and 23. The High Court has identified 75 cases for listing before the new Bench.
The establishment of the Bench is intended to make judicial services more accessible to residents of Leh, Kargil and other remote areas of Ladakh, where difficult terrain, long distances and weather conditions can pose challenges to travel.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena described the inauguration as a landmark development, expressing gratitude to the CJI and acknowledging the Centre's role in advancing the region's institutional development.