SRINAGAR: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena will administer the oath of office to Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on September 9, officials said.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 11 am at the Convention Centre in Srinagar.
The ceremony will mark the first time since Ladakh became a Union Territory in August 2019 that its Lieutenant Governor will administer the oath to the Chief Justice of the common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Bhati, currently a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, as Chief Justice of the J&K and Ladakh High Court on September 5. His appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge.
Justice Bhati will succeed Justice Sanjeev Kumar, who has been serving as the Acting Chief Justice since June 2.
Conventionally, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir administers the oath to the Chief Justice of the High Court. The decision to have Ladakh’s LG administer the oath this time marks a departure from the practice.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Bhati for the post on August 31. He was elevated as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court on November 16, 2016 and has extensive judicial experience.
