J&K And Ladakh High Court Designates 25 Lawyers As Senior Advocates After Five-Year Gap

In a significant development, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has designated 25 advocates as Senior Advocates, marking the first such exercise since December 3, 2020. The decision was taken unanimously in a Full Court meeting held on August 19, 2025.The exercise was undertaken in terms of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2025 with the stated objective of recognizing professional excellence at the Bar while ensuring merit, diversity, and...

J&K&L High Court Warns Staff Of Disciplinary Action For Wearing Casual Attire To Work, Directs Use Of Prescribed Uniform

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has issued a circular directing all its employees, both Gazetted and Non-Gazetted, to strictly adhere to the prescribed uniform while attending office and performing official duties.The Registrar General (Officiating), M.K. Sharma, observed that several officers and staff members were attending office in casual dress, which was causing “great indiscipline” and affecting the smooth functioning of the Court.The circular makes it clear that the...

Jammu & Kashmir And Ladakh High Court Monthly Digest: July 2025

Citation No: 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 252 to 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 291Nominal Index:Mohd Khalil Qazi Vs State of J&K 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 252M/S Durga Enterprises Vs FCI & Ors 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 253Maan Chand vs State 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 254Parveen Begum vs UT of J&K 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 255MUSHTAQ AHMAD SHAH & ORS vs UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR 2025 LiveLaw (JKL) 256UT Of J&K & ORS VS...

[MSMED Act] MSE Procurement Mandates Do Not Apply To Composite SIT Contracts: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court clarified that the Public Procurement Policy's preference for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) under Clauses 3 and 11 does not automatically extend to composite contracts such as SIT (Supply, Installation, and Testing) projects.A bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal dismissed a writ petition challenging tender conditions on the ground...

'Smacks Of Favouritism': J&K&L High Court Pulls Up State For Appointing 'Ineligible Person' As Director Of Family Welfare

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that the Government cannot bypass eligible officers within the Health & Family Welfare (Gazetted) Service to give temporary charge of the post of Director, Family Welfare, MCH & Immunization to an officer belonging to an entirely different service, particularly when the service rules prescribe no such mode of appointment.A...

FIR Filed With "Oblique Motive” To Circumvent Arbitral Award: J&K&L High Court Quashes FIR In Contract Dispute

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court quashed an FIR against a company and its director in a government contract dispute, holding that the prosecution was “nothing but an abuse of process of law” and aimed at creating a defence to an arbitral award passed against the department.A bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar noted that the letter at the heart of the controversy was issued in...

“Holding Firearm Licence Is Not A Fundamental Right”: J&K&L HC Upholds Revocation Of Man's Arms Licence For Brandishing Gun At Magistrate

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has upheld the cancellation of an arms licence issued to an elected District Development Council (DDC) member from Poonch after finding that he had brandished his licensed pistol at a Tehsildar and an anti-encroachment team, including the SDM and SDPO, during an official operation.A bench of Justice M.A. Chowdhary held that the case was not about...

Relaxed Rules Over Locus Standi In Public Interest Cannot Be Used To Indirectly Challenge Concluded Litigation: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has dismissed a writ petition challenging the regularisation of a minor deviation in a building's sanctioned plan by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), holding that the petitioner had no locus standi and the matter was an abuse of process.A bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal said, "It acknowledges the liberalization of standing in...

J&K&L High Court Quashes Case Against Man Booked For Participating In Protest During COVID, Says Officers Intended To 'Harrass' Accused

The Jammu & Kashmir High Court quashed criminal proceedings against three persons who were booked during the COVID-19 pandemic for allegedly violating prohibitory orders, holding that the case appeared to have been registered frivolously to harass them.A bench of Justice M.A. Chowdhary observed that the FIR under Sections 188/34 IPC and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act appeared to...

'Will Decide On Sanction To Prosecute IAS Officers In Arms License Scam Case Within 6 Weeks': MHA Tells J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court was informed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that it is likely to take a final call within six weeks on granting sanction for prosecution against certain IAS officers in the Arms License Scam.The sanction is being sought in connection with an alleged large-scale arms licence racket in which, according to the CBI, lakhs of gun licences...

Advisory Board Under PITNDPS Act Cannot Decide On Detenue's Representation, Decision Must Be Taken By Govt: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court slammed the Advisory Board constituted under the PIT NDPS Act for “illegally arrogating unto itself a power that the law has never vested in it”, as it quashed a preventive detention order for violating the constitutional rights of the detenue.A bench of Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, while delivering the judgment, held that the Advisory Board had...

Recording Adverse ACR Against Govt Employee During COVID Medical Leave Is Arbitrary: J&KL High Court Quashes Performance Report

The Jammu & Kashmir High Court quashed a “below average” Annual Confidential Report (ACR) recorded against a government employee for the year 2020, observing that the entry was made while the petitioner was on sanctioned medical leave due to COVID-19.A bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri held that such an adverse remark, made without any observable basis of...