View source for High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh

{{Short description|Court of Indian-administered territories}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox court
| court_name        = High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
| native_name       = <!-- No native name as per [[WP:NOINDICSCRIPTS]] -->
| image             = High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh logo.jpg
| caption           = Logo of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
| established       = {{start date and age|df=yes|1928|03|26}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html |title=History |website=www.Jkhighcourt.nic.in |access-date=6 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075405/https://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| jurisdiction      = [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[Ladakh]]
| location          = [[Srinagar]] Wing (Summer) and [[Jammu]] Wing (Winter)
| type              = [[President of India|Presidential]] with [[advice and consent|confirmation]] of [[Chief Justice of India]] and [[Governors of states of India|governor of respective state]] 
| authority         = [[Constitution of India]]
| appealsto         = [[Supreme Court of India]]
| terms             = Mandatory retirement at the age of 62
| positions         = 25 (19 Permanent Judges and 6 
Additional Judges)
| website           = {{URL|https://www.jkhighcourt.nic.in/}}
| chiefjudgetitle   = [[Chief Justice]]
| chiefjudgename    = [[Arun Palli]]
| termstart         = 16 April 2025
|          
}}
The '''High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2021/228337.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 September 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020192546/https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2021/228337.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-nomenclature-for-jammu-and-kashmir-high-court/article35377076.ece|title=New nomenclature for Jammu and Kashmir High Court|newspaper=The Hindu|date=17 July 2021|via=www.thehindu.com|access-date=3 September 2021|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903143931/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-nomenclature-for-jammu-and-kashmir-high-court/article35377076.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> is the common [[List of high courts in India|high court]] for [[Union territory|union territories]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|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 [[Judiciary of India#Judge strength|sanctioned judge strength]] of 17, 13 of whom are permanent judges, and 4 are additional judges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jklaw.nic.in/high_court.htm|title=Law Department J&K|website=jklaw.nic.in|access-date=8 February 2017|archive-date=20 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220051153/http://jklaw.nic.in/high_court.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html|title=History|website=jkhighcourt.nic.in|access-date=8 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075405/http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Tashi Rabstan]] has been the acting [[chief justice]] of the court since 18 July 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Order of appointment of Shri Justice Tashi Rabstan, Judge of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court as Acting Chief Justice of that High Court (16.07.2024) |url=https://doj.gov.in/document/order-of-appointment-of-shri-justice-tashi-rabstan-judge-of-the-jammu-kashmir-and-ladakh-high-court-as-acting-chief-justice-of-that-high-court-16-07-2024/ |website=Department of Justice, Government of India |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728145002/https://doj.gov.in/document/order-of-appointment-of-shri-justice-tashi-rabstan-judge-of-the-jammu-kashmir-and-ladakh-high-court-as-acting-chief-justice-of-that-high-court-16-07-2024/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir was established by Order No. 1, issued by [[Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir|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 judge]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html |title=History |publisher=Jkhighcourt.nic.in |access-date=6 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075405/http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/history.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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<ref>{{cite web |title=Kandahar's Qizilbash |url=https://kashmirlife.net/kandahars-qizilbash-issue-35-vol-09-157293/ |website=Kashmir Life |access-date=2 March 2021 |date=30 November 2017 |archive-date=6 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306100131/https://kashmirlife.net/kandahars-qizilbash-issue-35-vol-09-157293/ |url-status=live }}</ref> was the first Muslim judge of the High Court. He retired as Home and Judicial Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during the Maharaja's rule.<ref>{{cite web |last=Altaf |first=Sana |url=http://www.newsinsight.net/Changingtimes...aspx |title=Changing times.. |website=Newsinsight.net |date=1 December 2011 |access-date=6 November 2016 |archive-date=5 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405100016/http://www.newsinsight.net/Changingtimes...aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

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|date=September 2021}}

In August 2019, a [[Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act (2019)|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 (union territory)|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 (law)|Acting]] [[Chief Justice]] of the High Court on 8 December 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=Justice Tashi Rabstan appointed acting Chief Justice of J-K High Court |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/justice-tashi-rabstan-appointed-acting-chief-justice-of-j-k-high-court/article66233587.ece |work=The Hindu |agency=PTI |date=7 December 2022 |access-date=6 May 2024 |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506120405/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/justice-tashi-rabstan-appointed-acting-chief-justice-of-j-k-high-court/article66233587.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Chief justice and judges ==
{{See also|List of sitting judges of the high courts of India#Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court}}

==Former chief justices==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%;"
|+List of former chief justices
|-
!#
!Chief Justice
!Term 
|-
!1
| Kanwar Sain  
|27 April 1928–16 February 1931 
|-
!2
| Birjor Dalal 
|16 February 1931–24 November 1936
|-
!3
| Abdul Qayoom   
|24 November 1936–20 July 1940
|-
!4
| Rachpal Singh 
|13 August 1940–6 March 1942
|-
!5
| Ganga Nath   
|24 June 1942–23 October 1945
|-
!6
| S.K. Ghose
|29 March 1946–29 March 1948
|-
!7
| Janki Nath Wazir   
|30 March 1948–2 December 1967
|-
!8
| [[Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali]]
|3 December 1967–1 April 1975
|-
!9
| Raja Jaswant Singh   
|2 April 1975–23 January 1976
|-
!10
| M.R.A. Ansari
|23 January 1976–8 November 1977
|-
!11
| Mian Jalal-ud-Din  
|15 February 1978–22 February 1980
|-
!12
| Mufti Baha-ud-Din 
|7 March 1983–23 August 1983
|-
!13
| [[ Vazhakkulangarayil Khalid]]   
|24 August 1983–24 June 1984
|-
!14
| [[Adarsh Sein Anand]]  
|11 May 1985–23 October 1989
|-
!15
| S.S. Kang    
|24 October 1989–14 May 1993
|-
!16
|S.C. Mathur    
|10 October 1993–17 March 1994
|-
!17
| S. Sagir Ahmed   
|18 March 1994–22 September 1994
|-
!18
| M. Ramakrishna    
|10 October 1994–15 June 1997
|-
!19
| Bhawani Singh    
|16 June 1997–21 February 2000
|-
!20
| B.P. Saraf    
|21 February 2000–22 August 2001
|-
!21
| H.K. Sema    
|12 September 2001–8 April 2002
|-
!22
| B.C. Patel    
|16 May 2002–4 March 2003
|-
!23
| S.N. Jha    
|4 February 2004–11 October 2005
|-
!24
| B.A. Khan    
|25 January 2007–31 March 2007
|-
!25
|[[K.S. Panicker Radhakrishnan|K.S. Radhakrishnan]] 
|7 January 2008–28 August 2008
|-
!26
| Manmohan Sarin     
|4 September 2008–19 October 2008
|-
!27
| [[Barin Ghosh (judge)|Barin Ghosh]]  
|3 January 2009–13 April 2010
|-
!28
| Dr. [[Aftab Hussain Saikia]]  
|13 April 2010–6 April 2011
|-
!29
| [[Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla|F. M. Ibrahim Kalifulla]]   
|24 February 2011–2 April 2012
|-
!''Acting''
| [[Virender Singh (judge)|Virender Singh]]   
|02 April 2012–07 June 2012
|-
!30
|M. M. Kumar
|8 June 2012 – 4 January 2015
|-
!31
|[[N. Paul Vasanthakumar]]
|2 February 2015 – 14 March 2017
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Ramalingam Sudhakar]]
|15 March 2017 – 31 March 2017
|-
!32
|[[Badar Durrez Ahmed]]
|1 April 2017 – 15 March 2018
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Ramalingam Sudhakar]]
|16 March 2018 – 11 May 2018
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Alok Aradhe]] 
|11 May 2018 – 11 August 2018
|-
!33
|[[Gita Mittal]]
|11 August 2018 – 8 December 2020
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Rajesh Bindal]] 
|9 December 2020 – 3 January 2021
|-
!34
|[[Pankaj Mithal]]
|4 January 2021 – 12 October 2022
|-
!35
|[[Ali Mohammad Magrey]]
|13 October 2022 – 7 December 2022
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Tashi Rabstan]]
|8 December 2022 – 14 February 2023
|-
!36
|[[N. Kotiswar Singh]]
|15 February 2023 – 17 July 2024
|-
!''Acting''
|[[Tashi Rabstan]]
|18 July 2024 – 26 September 2024
|-
!37
|[[Tashi Rabstan]]
|27 September 2024 – 9 April 2025
|-
!''Acting''
|Sanjeev Kumar 
|10 April 2025 – 15 April 2025
|-
!38
|[[Arun Palli]]
|16 April 2025 – Incumbent 
|}

== Judges elevated to Supreme Court ==

=== Currently serving ===
{| class="wikitable static-row-numbers static-row-header" width="92%" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |#
! rowspan="2" |Name of the Judge
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Date of Appointment as Judge
! rowspan="2" |Date of elevation to Supreme Court
! rowspan="2" |Date of Retirement
! colspan="3" |Tenure
! rowspan="2" |Immediately preceding office
|-
!As HC Judge
!As Supreme Court Judge
!Total tenure<br />{{small|(including both SC and HC)}}<br />
|-
!--
| --
| --
| --
| --
| --
| --
| --
| --
| --
|}

=== Former Judges ===
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header" width="92%" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |#
! rowspan="2" |Name of the Judge
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Date of Appointment as Judge
! rowspan="2" |Date of elevation to Supreme Court
! rowspan="2" |Date of Retirement
! colspan="3" |Tenure
! rowspan="2" |Immediately preceding office
! rowspan="2" |Remarks
|-
!As HC Judge
!As Supreme Court Judge
!Total tenure<br />{{small|(including both SC and HC)}}<br />
|-
!1
|[[Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali]]
|
|{{dts|1958|4|9|format=dmy}}
|{{dts|1975|4|2|format=dmy}}
|{{dts|1985|8|20|format=dmy}}
|{{ayd|1958|4|9|1975|4|1|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1975|4|2|1985|8|20|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1958|4|9|1985|8|20|duration=on}}
|[[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court|8th CJ]] of Jammu & Kashmir HC
|Died in office
|-
!2
|Jaswant Singh
|
|{{dts|1967|12|3|format=dmy}}
|{{dts|1976|1|23|format=dmy}}
|{{dts|1979|1|24|format=dmy}}
|{{ayd|1967|12|3|1976|1|22|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1976|1|23|1979|1|24|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1967|12|3|1979|1|24|duration=on}}
|[[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court|9th CJ]] of Jammu & Kashmir HC
|
|-
!3
|[[Adarsh Sein Anand|'''Adarsh Sein Anand''']]
|'''[[File:Justice A.S. Anand.jpg|alt=|95x95px|Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud]]'''
|'''{{Dts|1975|5|26|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{Dts|1991|11|18|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{Dts|2001|10|31|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{ayd|1975|5|26|1991|11|17|duration=on}}'''
|'''{{ayd|1991|11|18|2001|10|31|duration=on}}'''
|'''{{ayd|1975|5|26|2001|10|31|duration=on}}'''
|'''[[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Madras High Court|24th CJ]] of [[Madras High Court|Madras HC]]'''
|'''29th Chief Justice of India'''
|-
!4
|[[Ram Prakash Sethi]]
|
|{{Dts|1986|5|30|format=dmy}}
|{{dts|1999|1|8|format=dmy}}
|{{Dts|2002|7|6|format=dmy}}
|{{ayd|1986|5|30|1999|1|7|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1999|1|8|2002|7|6|duration=on}}
|{{ayd|1986|5|30|2002|7|6|duration=on}}
|[[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Karnataka High Court|18th CJ]] of [[Karnataka High Court|Karnataka HC]]
|
|-
!5
|[[Tirath Singh Thakur|'''Tirath Singh Thakur''']]
|'''[[File:Justice T.S. Thakur.jpg|alt=|96x96px|Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud]]'''
|'''{{Dts|1994|2|16|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{Dts|2009|11|17|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{Dts|2017|January|3|format=dmy}}'''
|'''{{ayd|1994|2|16|2009|11|16|duration=on}}'''
| rowspan="1" align="center" |'''{{ayd|2009|11|17|2017|1|3}}'''
|'''{{ayd|1994|2|16|2017|1|3|duration=on}}'''
|'''[[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Punjab and Haryana High Court|28th CJ]] of [[Punjab and Haryana High Court|Punjab & Haryana HC]]'''
|'''43rd Chief Justice of India'''
|}

==Judges elevated as chief justices==

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain]] (born 1949), former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge

== Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy ==

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Jammu & Kashmir State Judicial Academy |url=http://jkja.nic.in/presentsetup.php |website=jkja.nic.in |access-date=2 March 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811053926/http://jkja.nic.in/presentsetup.php |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Jammu & Kashmir State Judicial Academy |url=http://www.jkja.nic.in/srinagarcampus.php |website=www.jkja.nic.in |access-date=2 March 2021 |archive-date=8 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808210113/http://jkja.nic.in/srinagarcampus.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Jammu & Kashmir State Judicial Academy |url=http://www.jkja.nic.in/jammucampus.php |website=www.jkja.nic.in |access-date=2 March 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811054650/http://jkja.nic.in/jammucampus.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite news|date=17 July 2021|title=New nomenclature for Jammu and Kashmir High Court|work=The Indian EXPRESS|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/new-nomenclature-for-jammu-and-kashmir-high-court-7408891/|access-date=17 July 2021|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717045135/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/new-nomenclature-for-jammu-and-kashmir-high-court-7408891/|url-status=live}}

==Further reading==
* [http://www.ebc-india.com/lawyer/hcourts.htm Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts]
* [http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2003/roct2003/30102003/r301020036.html  Judge strength in High Courts increased]

==External links==
* [http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/ Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court official website]

[[Category:Government of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:1928 establishments in India]]
[[Category:High courts of India|Jammu and Kashmir ]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1928]]