Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved Leh as the initial place of sitting for the High Court Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The decision was taken on the recommendation of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which was conveyed by the Registrar General of the High Court on September 15.
According to officials, the recommendation in favour of Leh was based on judicial, administrative and infrastructural considerations, including the volume of litigation originating from the region, its status as the administrative headquarters of Ladakh and the availability of infrastructure for commencing court proceedings.
Judicial data submitted to the administration showed that of the 423 cases pending from the Union Territory of Ladakh, 252 originate from Leh division, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the total pendency.
The High Court observed that locating the initial sitting of the bench in Leh would serve the convenience of a majority of litigants and legal practitioners from the region.
The recommendation also noted that Leh houses key administrative institutions of the Union Territory, including the Civil Secretariat and principal offices of various government departments. Establishing the bench in Leh, the High Court said, would facilitate coordination in cases involving the administration, including legal representation and responses from government authorities.
The court further noted that while permanent infrastructure for the bench would be developed in the future, suitable temporary facilities have already been identified in Leh, enabling judicial work to begin without waiting for completion of permanent infrastructure.
Following the approval, the Department of Law and Justice, in coordination with the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, will make the necessary arrangements for the functioning of the bench, including residential accommodation, security and other logistical requirements for visiting judges and staff.
The approval has been granted 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, which came into force on September 5 this year.