Supreme Court to Hear Ladakh Cases Virtually from New High Court Bench

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant used the inauguration of the Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to unveil a virtual access scheme for Supreme Court hearings. Under the scheme, every case originating in Ladakh will be scheduled on one day and heard remotely via video-conferencing, enabling lawyers and litigants from Leh and Kargil to appear before the nation's top court without traveling to Delhi.

Kant recalled that the previous high court sat beyond the Great Himalayas and was reachable only by air in winter, underscoring the region's long-standing geographic barriers. He emphasized that the bench serves both districts equally and that technology, together with legal-aid initiatives, will bridge the distance gap. The Chief Justice also urged greater community ownership of the court and called on the Ladakh Legal Services Authority and the court's Legal Services Committee to extend outreach to remote areas. This step aims to make justice more accessible in the high-altitude Union Territory.