The regulation for a permanent bench of the Jammu and Kashmir high court in Ladakh came into effect on Saturday, with LG Vinai Kumar Saxena describing its implementation as a “historic step” towards bringing the justice delivery system closer to the people.
The Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026, was promulgated by the President on August 27.
The regulation will facilitate further action for establishing and operationalising the bench, including consultation with the high court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the concerned Departments on the required judicial, administrative, infrastructural, financial and logistical arrangements, an official spokesperson said.
The establishment of the bench in Ladakh is expected to significantly improve access to justice for the people of the Union Territory, particularly litigants from remote and far-flung areas.
At present, people requiring proceedings before the high court may have to travel outside Ladakh, involving considerable expenditure of time and money. A bench sitting in Ladakh will bring higher judicial services closer to the people and reduce the difficulties associated with long-distance travel and accommodation.
Saxena said that the move is particularly significant for a geographically vast and challenging Union Territory such as Ladakh, where difficult terrain, long distances and harsh weather conditions can make access to institutions outside the region especially demanding.
{{/usCountry}}Saxena said that the move is particularly significant for a geographically vast and challenging Union Territory such as Ladakh, where difficult terrain, long distances and harsh weather conditions can make access to institutions outside the region especially demanding.
{{/usCountry}}“The bench is a historic step towards bringing justice closer to the people. For the people living in our remote and far-flung areas, this will substantially improve access to justice and make the judicial system more accessible to our citizens,” Saxena said, thanking the President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.