High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh

High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
Logo of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
Established	26 March 1928; 96 years ago (1928-03-26)[1]
Jurisdiction	Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
Location	Srinagar Wing (Summer) and Jammu Wing (Winter)
Composition method	Presidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of India and governor of respective state
Authorised by	Constitution of India
Appeals to	Supreme Court of India
Judge term length	Mandatory retirement at the age of 62
Number of positions	17 (13 Permanent Judges and 4 Additional Judges)
Website	www.jkhighcourt.nic.in
Chief Justice
Currently	Tashi Rabstan
Since	27 September 2024
Lead position ends	9 April 2025

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh^[2][3] is the common high court for union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was established as the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on 26 March 1928 by the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The seat of the court shifts between the summer capital Srinagar and winter capital Jammu. The court has a sanctioned judge strength of 17, 13 of whom are permanent judges, and 4 are additional judges.^[4][5] Since 18 July 2024, the acting chief justice of the court is Tashi Rabstan.^[6]

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir was established by Order No. 1, issued by Maharaja Hari Singh on 26 March 1928. The Maharaja appointed Lala Kanwar Sain as the first chief justice, and Lala Bodh Raj Sawhney and Khan Sahib Aga Syed Hussain as puisne judges.^[7] The High Court sat at both the winter capital of Jammu, and the summer capital of Srinagar. The Maharaja conferred letters patent on the High Court on 10 September 1943.

Puisne judge Khan Sahib Aga Syed Hussain^[8] was the first Muslim judge of the High Court. He retired as Home and Judicial Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during the Maharaja Rule.^[9]

In August 2018, the High Court got its first and second woman judges with Justice Sindhu Sharma, who was appointed a judge, and Justice Gita Mittal, who was appointed the chief justice.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2019, a Reorganisation Bill was passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament. This bill reorganised the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—as of 31 October 2019. After this reorganisation, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir continued serving as the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for both union territories.

Tashi Rabstan was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court on 8 December 2022.^[10]

• Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain (born 1949), former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge

In 2001, the High Court established its regular Judicial Academy via order No. 342, dated 26 July. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy functions regularly and holds training programmes.^[11] Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy has its own infrastructure in Jammu (in the premises of the High Court) and in Srinagar (Mominabad).

The administrative machinery of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh moves to Srinagar, its summer capital, in April and Jammu, its winter capital, in November every year. In view of this tradition, Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy also functions likewise from Jammu and Srinagar. It has infrastructures both in Jammu and Srinagar.^[12][13]

• "New nomenclature for Jammu and Kashmir High Court". The Indian EXPRESS. 17 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

• Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts
• Judge strength in High Courts increased

• Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court official website