SRINAGAR: Senior judicial officer Yash Paul Bourney was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at a ceremony held at the Srinagar wing of the High Court on Tuesday.
Chief Justice Dr Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati administered the oath of office to Justice Bourney. The warrant of appointment was read out by Registrar General M K Sharma, who also conducted the proceedings.
The ceremony was attended by several judges of the High Court, including Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice Mohd Akram Chowdhary, Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri, Justice Mohd Yousuf Wani and Justice Sanjay Parihar. Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Justice Sindhu Sharma, Justice Sanjay Dhar, Justice Rahul Bharti, Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi and Justice Shahzad Azeem joined the proceedings virtually from the Jammu wing.
Family members, relatives and friends of Justice Bourney were also present.
Among those attending were Mir Syed Latif, Judicial Member (HOD), Central Administrative Tribunal, Srinagar Bench; Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra; ADGP CID M K Sinha; Commissioner Secretary, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Achal Sethi; the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; IGP Kashmir; IGP Security; senior advocates; executive members of the Kashmir Advocates’ Association and J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu; law officers; judicial officers; and officers of the High Court Registry.
The Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, issued the notification appointing Bourney as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on September 19, 2026.
Born on August 25, 1967, Justice Bourney is from Dadwara village in Bhaddu, Billawar, Kathua district. He has served as Principal District and Sessions Judge in Leh, Baramulla, Udhampur and Jammu, besides serving as Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, in Srinagar and Jammu.
He has also served as Member Secretary of the J&K Legal Services Authority, Registrar Vigilance of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and Director of the J&K Judicial Academy.
Before his elevation to the High Court, Justice Bourney was serving on deputation as a Member of the J&K Special Tribunal, Jammu, after serving as Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu.
