Srinagar, April 08, KDC: In a major restructuring of judicial sittings aimed at improving the accessibility of justice across Jammu and Kashmir, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has announced a new plan to relocate Additional District and Sessions Judges, Civil Judges, and Munsiffs to more local and easily accessible locations.
The move, intended to bring justice closer to the people, will see several judicial officers hold court at newly designated venues, with Sumbal being one of the key locations where sittings will be held for three days a week.
According to a notification issued by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, a copy of which lies with Kashmir Dot Com, the Additional District & Sessions Judge, Bandipora, will now conduct sittings in Sumbal for three days every week—Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
This decision is in response to the growing caseload in the Sumbal Sub-Division, which will be handled more efficiently at a local level until a dedicated court is established for the area. In addition to Sumbal, similar changes have been made to the sittings of other judicial officers across the J&K.
The Additional District & Sessions Judge for Jammu will hold court at the Tehsil Headquarter R.S. Pura for the last three days of each week, from Thursday to Saturday. This will allow the judge to handle cases originating from Tehsil R.S. Pura and Tehsil Bishnah, reducing the need for people in these areas to travel to Jammu for hearings.
Similarly, the Additional District & Sessions Judge for Poonch will now hold sittings for four days a week, from Monday to Thursday, at Tehsil Headquarter Mendhar to address cases from the area.
Other judicial officers have also been assigned to local venues under this new system. The Munsiff/Additional Special Mobile Magistrate for Doda will conduct sittings every fortnight for three days at Assar, while the Munsiff/Additional Special Mobile Magistrate in Thanamandi will hold court for three days each week at Darhal, dealing with cases originating from that region.
Additionally, the Munsiff/Additional Special Mobile Magistrate for Surankote will hold sittings for at least three days a week in Mendhar, ensuring local access to justice in the region.
The Munsiff/Additional Special Mobile Magistrates for Samba and Kishtwar will also follow a similar model, with sittings held for three days every fortnight at Ghagwal and Paddar, respectively. This decentralized approach is designed to ensure that justice is accessible to people who may otherwise face significant travel distances to attend court hearings.
The Principal District and Sessions Judges in each district as per the notification will be responsible for identifying the appropriate premises for these new sittings, with approval from the High Court. (KDC)