The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to establish a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
Shah said the move is aimed at improving access to justice for people living in the remote and geographically challenging areas of the Union Territory.
The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of the PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, has decided to set up a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh. This will significantly enhance access to justice for citizens living in remote areas of Ladakh by reducing the time required…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 20, 2026
In a post on X, the Home Minister said the proposed bench would reduce the time residents need to access legal services to which they are entitled.
He added that the government remains committed to the all-round development of Ladakh and ensuring constitutional safeguards for its people.
Ladakh is a vast, mountainous Union Territory where travelling long distances can be difficult, particularly for people who need to appear in court or seek legal assistance.
The proposed bench is expected to make it easier for residents to access the High Court without undertaking lengthy journeys to seek legal remedies.
At present, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is a common High Court for the two Union Territories. The Department of Justice lists Jammu and Srinagar as its principal seats.
The new bench is expected to reduce the need for residents of Ladakh to travel outside the Union Territory for matters requiring access to the High Court.
Ladakh became a separate Union Territory on October 31, 2019, following the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Following the reorganisation, the existing High Court became the common High Court for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Ladakh does not have a separate High Court of its own.
The latest decision is therefore aimed at strengthening judicial access within Ladakh rather than creating a separate High Court for the Union Territory.
