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Synopsis

The Ministry of Law and Justice has announced an increase in the sanctioned strength of judges in the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, raising the number from 17 to 25. The expansion is expected to strengthen the high court’s capacity and help address case backlogs in the region.

This was conveyed in a letter from Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan. “The Judge strength of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been reviewed and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, it has been decided to increase the Judge Strength of the High Court from 17 to 25 Judges, with 19 Permanent Judges and 06 Additional Judges.” the Letter stated.

The Ministry outlined that 66⅔% of the new appointments will come from the Bar, with 33⅓% allocated for Service candidates, stating that “The enhanced Judge Strength of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will be divided in the ratio of 66⅔ and 33⅓ between Bar and Service. Therefore, the share of members of Bar and Service would be 17 and 08 respectively.”

The Ministry also urged the Chief Justice to prioritize filling these positions and to consider candidates from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities, and Women.

This increase took effect on October 25, 2024, after discussions with the Chief Justice of India.