Leh: The Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh began regular hearings on Wednesday, with Chief Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjay Parihar presiding over its first regular division bench.
Located at an altitude of more than 11,500 feet above sea level, the bench conducted proceedings through a hybrid arrangement, with the Chief Justice participating virtually and Justice Parihar present physically at Leh.
The division bench heard five listed matters, after which Justice Parihar took up 60 cases listed before the single bench, taking the total number of matters heard during the day to 65.
Justice Parihar said the cases had been identified as part of the initial effort to organise hearings for litigants from Ladakh. He described the commencement of regular proceedings at the high-altitude location as a significant step towards improving access to justice in geographically remote areas.
The establishment of the bench is expected to reduce the need for litigants from Leh, Kargil and other parts of Ladakh to travel to Srinagar or Jammu for proceedings before the High Court. It is also expected to facilitate access to judicial services for the region’s legal fraternity.
The Ladakh Bench was formally inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on October 18 at Melongthang in Leh.
