Union Cabinet approves bench at Ladakh for Jammu & Kashmir High Court

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the establishment of a bench at Ladakh for High Court of Jammu and Kashmir to improve access to legal services for people living in the Union Territory.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the decision through a post made on social media platform X (formerly twitter).

Currently, the High Court has two benches, one at Srinagar and the other at Jammu.

The Ladakh bench, once established, would be the third bench of the High Court.

The home minister said the government remains committed to the development of Ladakh and to ensuring constitutional safeguards for its people.

The proposed bench will be part of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which currently serves both Union Territories. The announcement is aimed at bringing High Court services closer to litigants in Ladakh, where geographical distances can make access to judicial institutions more difficult.

“This will significantly enhance access to justice for citizens living in remote areas of Ladakh by reducing the time required to avail themselves of the legal services they are entitled to,” the post read.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of the continuing administrative and institutional development of Ladakh since it became a separate Union Territory in 2019 following the reorganisation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.