Ladakh Bench of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh

The High Court bench in Ladakh is a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh established to enable sittings of the High Court in the Union territory of Ladakh, India. The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the bench on 20 August 2026, with the aim of improving access to justice for residents of the geographically remote Union territory.

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026 on 27 August 2026. The Regulation provides the legal framework for Judges and Division Courts of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to sit in Ladakh.

Background

Ladakh became a separate Union territory on 31 October 2019 following the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. It shares the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The High Court has its principal seat at Srinagar, with a seat at Jammu.

Before the establishment of a sitting bench in Ladakh, litigants from the Union territory generally had to travel outside Ladakh to access proceedings before the High Court. The region's difficult terrain and long distances created practical difficulties in accessing higher judicial remedies.

Approval and establishment

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to enable the sitting of a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh on 20 August 2026. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the decision would significantly improve access to justice for people living in the remote areas of Ladakh.

The decision was taken amid discussions between the Union government and representatives of Ladakh concerning constitutional safeguards and other political demands. The establishment of the bench was presented as a measure to bring higher judicial services closer to residents of the Union territory.

Presidential promulgation

On 27 August 2026, President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026. The Regulation was issued under Article 240 of the Constitution of India, read with section 58(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. It was published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary on the same day.

The Regulation extends to the whole of the Union territory of Ladakh. It provides that Judges and Division Courts of the High Court may also sit at a place within Ladakh appointed by the Chief Justice, with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

The Regulation does not alter the principal seat of the common High Court. It provides that the principal seat will continue to be at the location at which it was situated immediately before the Regulation comes into force. The Chief Justice may also direct that any case or class of cases arising in Ladakh be heard at Srinagar or Jammu.

The Regulation will come into force on a date appointed by the Administrator of Ladakh by notification in the Gazette of India.

Significance

The establishment of the bench is intended to reduce the time, travel and expense involved for litigants from Ladakh seeking access to the High Court. The Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh described the measure as fulfilling a long-standing demand for improved access to higher judicial remedies within the Union territory.

The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, welcomed the President's promulgation of the Regulation and said that the measure would make access to higher judicial remedies easier for residents of the Union territory.

Ladakh Bench of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh

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