On the recommendations of the Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, has approved Leh as the initial place of sitting for the Sitting Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.The Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, on September 15, 2026, had conveyed that the Chief Justice had recommended Leh as the initial place of sitting for the High Court Bench.
The recommendation of Leh is based on key judicial, administrative and infrastructural considerations, including the volume of litigation originating from the Leh Division, its administrative importance and the availability of suitable infrastructure for commencing the functioning of the Bench.
According to the judicial data placed before the Administration, 423 cases are pending from the Union Territory of Ladakh, of which 252 cases originate from the Leh Division. Thus, nearly 60 percent of the pending cases in Ladakh, originate from Leh.
The High Court has accordingly observed that establishing the initial sitting of the Bench at Leh would directly serve the convenience of the larger share of litigants and legal professionals from the region.
The High Court has also taken into consideration the fact that Leh is the administrative headquarters of the Union Territory of Ladakh. “The city houses Lok Niwas, the Civil/Administrative Secretariat and the principal offices of various government departments. Accordingly, locating the Sitting Bench at Leh would facilitate coordination in cases involving the Administration, including legal representation, responses of government authorities and other administrative requirements associated with judicial proceedings,” the communication from the High Court said.The High Court has further noted that, while permanent institutional infrastructure for the Sitting Bench would be developed as part of the long-term arrangements, suitable temporary infrastructure has already been identified in Leh. It mentioned that this would enable the judicial functioning of the Sitting Bench to commence without having to wait for the completion of permanent infrastructure and lengthy construction processes.
Following the approval, the Department of Law & Justice, in coordination with the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, will facilitate the necessary administrative arrangements, including protocols, residential arrangements for visiting Judges and staff, and security arrangements for the functioning of the Bench.
The approval has been accorded under Section 2(2) of the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026 (No. 10 of 2026), promulgated by the Hon’ble President of India and brought into force with effect from September 5, 2026.
