Regulation enabling a High Court bench in Ladakh comes into effect

3 October 2026

The Union Cabinet approved a High Court bench in Ladakh on 20 August 2026. The President promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026 on 27 August 2026. Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena fixed 5 September 2026 as the date it came into effect. The High Court itself remains the common court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The bench is meant to spare residents of remote Ladakh the cost and time of travelling outside the UT for higher courts.