Srinagar, Sept 6, KDC: Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, presently a Judge of the Rajasthan High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, with the appointment taking effect from the date he assumes charge.
The appointment has been made by the President of India under Article 217(1) of the Constitution and formally notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice on September 5, 2026. The notification specifically states that Justice Bhati will take charge as Chief Justice from the date he assumes office.
Justice Bhati will succeed Justice Sanjeev Kumar, who has been functioning as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court since June 2, 2026.
Justice Bhati’s appointment follows the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium at its meeting on August 31, 2026. He was then serving as a Judge of the Rajasthan High Court.
He was elevated to the Rajasthan High Court Bench on November 16, 2016, after practising as a lawyer for nearly 25 years. During his legal career, he served as an Additional Advocate General and was also elected president of the High Court Lawyers Association at different points.
The appointment makes Justice Bhati the 39th Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Justice Arun Palli, who preceded the present acting arrangement, had taken oath as the 38th Chief Justice on April 16, 2025.
Justice Palli’s tenure followed the retirement of Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan in April 2025. After Justice Palli’s departure from the High Court, Justice Sanjeev Kumar has been serving as Acting Chief Justice.
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has jurisdiction over the two Union Territories and has a long institutional history dating back to 1928, when the High Court of Judicature for the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State was established. Lala Kanwar Sein was appointed its first Chief Justice.
The appointment notification was issued from the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, New Delhi, on September 5.
Justice Bhati’s assumption of charge will formally end the current arrangement under which the High Court is being headed by an Acting Chief Justice. The exact date of his assumption of office has not been specified in the appointment notification and will take effect when he formally assumes charge. (KDC)
