Chief Justice of India announces a special Supreme Court bench for cases from the Ladakh region

19 October 2026

Speaking at the inaugural function of the Ladakh bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court at Leh, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said he would make an arrangement to set up a special Supreme Court bench to hear Ladakh region cases pending before the court, sitting on one day. He said those cases should be argued by lawyers from Leh and Kargil, and that advocates could also appear online before the bench from the High Court's Leh bench. He said members of the Leh and Kargil bar should feel integrated with the Supreme Court and its bar. The announcement followed a suggestion by Attorney General R Venkataramani that a Constitution Bench sit in Ladakh.