Leh, Sept 5: The Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026, which provides for a Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to sit in the Union Territory of Ladakh, has come into force today onwards, with Lt. Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena appointing September 5, 2026, as the date on which the Regulation shall come into effect.
The Regulation was promulgated by the Hon’ble President of India on August 27, 2026. The Regulation specifically provides that it shall come into force on such date as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor has now appointed September 5, 2026, as the date for its coming into force. The coming into force of the Regulation marks an important institutional step towards operationalising the provision for a High Court Bench in Ladakh. It will facilitate further action for establishing and operationalising the Bench, including consultation with the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the concerned Departments on the required judicial, administrative, infrastructural, financial and logistical arrangements.
The establishment of a High Court Bench in Ladakh is expected to significantly improve access to justice for the people of the Union Territory, particularly litigants from remote and far-flung areas. At present, people requiring proceedings before the High Court may have to travel outside Ladakh, involving considerable expenditure of time and money. A Bench sitting in Ladakh will bring higher judicial services closer to the people and reduce the difficulties associated with long-distance travel and accommodation.
L-G Saxena said that the move is particularly significant for a geographically vast and challenging Union Territory such as Ladakh, where difficult terrain, long distances and harsh weather conditions can make access to institutions outside the region especially demanding.
“The Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh is a historic step towards bringing justice closer to the people. For the people living in our remote and far-flung areas, this will substantially improve access to justice and make the judicial system more accessible to our citizens. I express my sincere gratitude to the Hon’ble President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah Ji for strengthening the justice delivery system in Ladakh,” said L-G Saxena.
