Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will inaugurate the permanent Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Leh on Sunday, news agency Press Trust of India reported, citing a senior official.
Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said the Bench would bring justice closer to residents, particularly those in remote areas who face difficulties reaching higher courts because of the terrain, harsh weather and long travel distances.
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Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Kundra said, “The establishment of the High Court Bench is an important development for Ladakh, particularly for people living in remote and far-flung areas who have long faced difficulties in accessing higher judicial institutions due to geographical constraints, harsh weather conditions and long travel distances.”
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena will also attend the inauguration, officials told PTI.
Kundra said the Chief Justice of India would be accompanied by four other Supreme Court judges. The Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, all other judges of the High Court, and the Attorney General of India would also attend the event.
Calling it a significant development, Kundra said he did not think a sitting Bench had been established in this manner for any other High Court in India over the past 40 years. He cited the Gauhati High Court’s Benches in Arunachal Pradesh as an example of a similar arrangement and said he had also heard of Benches being established in Gwalior in the past.
Highlighting the practical benefits, Kundra said people seeking judicial relief, including through writ petitions, would no longer have to travel to Srinagar or Jammu.
“Bringing justice closer to the people is a very significant achievement. Otherwise, anyone who feels aggrieved and wishes to file a writ petition would have to travel to Srinagar or Jammu. The fact that this is now possible in Leh is an extremely positive development,” he said.
Kundra said the initiative had taken shape within two months and was not among the demands raised by Ladakh representatives during talks with the Centre. “Rather, it is a unilateral initiative taken by the government of India, which fully understands the challenges posed by the difficult terrain and the circumstances in which people live here. The government recognises that ensuring access to justice closer to people’s doorsteps is crucial,” he said.
The regulation enabling the establishment of a permanent Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory came into force on September 5. President Droupadi Murmu had promulgated it on August 27, with the date of implementation to be notified by the Administrator in the Official Gazette. The Lieutenant Governor subsequently appointed September 5 as the date on which it would take effect.
Saxena described the move as a “historic step” towards making the justice delivery system more accessible. He thanked President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for strengthening Ladakh’s judicial system.
The permanent Bench in Leh is aimed at giving Ladakh residents easier access to the High Court and reducing the need to travel to Srinagar or Jammu for proceedings such as writ petitions.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
