Ladakh High Court Bench Begins Regular Hearings in Leh, Five Cases Listed on First Day
Leh, KNT: The newly established Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh began its first regular hearings in Leh on Wednesday, marking a significant development in improving access to justice for residents of the Union Territory.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjay Parihar was scheduled to take up five cases on the opening day, according to the High Court’s published notifications and cause lists. The High Court has identified a total of 75 cases for initial listing before the Ladakh Bench.
The Bench was formally inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant at Melongthang in Leh on October 18. Its establishment brings High Court proceedings closer to litigants in Ladakh, who previously had to travel to Srinagar or Jammu to pursue matters before the court.
The new Bench will function as part of the existing High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which exercises jurisdiction over both Union Territories. It is not a separate High Court and is expected to initially function through sittings by judges on a rotational basis, with hearings scheduled twice a week.
The commencement of regular hearings is expected to reduce the time, travel expenses and logistical difficulties faced by litigants and lawyers from Leh and Kargil, particularly given the region’s difficult terrain and harsh winter conditions.
At the inauguration, Justice Surya Kant had also announced an arrangement to facilitate the hearing of cases originating from Ladakh and pending before the Supreme Court by grouping them for listing on a single day. The proposed arrangement is intended to reduce repeated journeys to New Delhi for litigants and advocates from the region.
The functioning of the Bench is expected to strengthen access to judicial remedies in Ladakh, with its impact depending on the regularity of sittings, the disposal of cases and the practical accessibility of court services to residents across the Union Territory. [KNT]
