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Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Sunday inaugurated the newly established Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Melongthang in Leh, marking a significant step towards improving access to justice in the Union Territory.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges Justice M. M. Sundresh, Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Arun Palli, Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, among other dignitaries.
On his arrival, Justice Surya Kant was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour before he unveiled the inauguration plaque and toured the court complex.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Bhati said access to justice was the guiding principle behind the establishment of the Ladakh Bench. He described the setting up of a constitutional court in one of the highest-altitude regions of the world as a historic step towards bringing justice closer to people living in remote and geographically challenging areas.
The ceremony also witnessed the launch of several digital and green initiatives. The e-Filing Portal will allow advocates and litigants to file cases electronically without travelling to the court, while the Document Management System (DMS) will facilitate the digital management of judicial records.
An Online Recruitment Portal of the High Court was also launched to streamline recruitment for the High Court and District Judiciary and promote transparency and efficiency.
The Ladakh Bench has been designed as a fully IT-enabled, paperless court, with facilities including a Digitisation Centre, Filing Counter, Bar Room, Litigants’ Sitting Area, Conference Room and Video Conferencing Room.
Justice Surya Kant also virtually inaugurated the Green Wall, an initiative aimed at promoting environmental conservation and ecological sustainability in Ladakh. The Chief Justice further initiated work for installation of solar power systems at 11 locations.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena termed the establishment of the Bench a historic milestone in strengthening access to justice in the region and highlighted the importance of sustainable initiatives in the ecologically fragile Himalayan territory.
In his Presidential Address, Justice Surya Kant emphasised the role of technology and legal aid in overcoming geographical barriers to justice.
The event was attended by judges of the High Court, senior civil and police officers, armed forces representatives, officers of the High Court Registry, law officers and representatives of the Bar Associations of Leh and Kargil.
The inauguration marks a new chapter in Ladakh’s judicial infrastructure, with the Bench expected to make justice delivery more accessible, efficient and technology-driven for the people of the Union Territory.
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