The “long-winding and cumbersome” nomenclature ‘Common High Court of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh’ has been changed to ‘High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh’, according to an order notified on July 16.
President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2021, to effect the change. The order was notified by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry on July 16.
It observed that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, was enacted to provide for reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The order pointed out that the Act declared that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir will be the “Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh”.
“The present nomenclature is found to be rather long-winding and cumbersome. The said nomenclature may be substituted as High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which besides being convenient would also be in consonance with the name pattern followed in other common High Courts, namely, Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has jurisdiction over the states of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh,” it said.
Considered views on the proposal were sought from the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh and the Chief Justice of the High Court.
“The Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir vide letter dated October 27, 2020, and the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh vide letter dated October 20, 2020, have conveyed their agreement to the proposed change in the name of the High Court.
“The then chief justice of the common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh vide letter dated November 21, 2020, has also conveyed her no objection to the proposed name,” the order said.
