Leh High Court bench inaugurated to improve judicial access

A permanent sitting bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has been established in Leh. The inauguration was attended by the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, four other Supreme Court judges, the Attorney General of India R Venkataramani, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena.

The new bench aims to bring justice closer to the residents of Ladakh, particularly those in remote areas who previously had to travel long distances to Jammu or Srinagar to file writ petitions or access High Court proceedings. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra noted that the initiative was a unilateral move by the Government of India to address the geographical and logistical challenges faced by the local population.

Kundra described the establishment of the bench as a rare feat in modern Indian judicial history, noting that the administrative and judicial setup was completed within a span of two months.