Kargil/Jammu, Sep 21The Kargil Bar Association has sought the establishment of a dedicated circuit bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in the district, saying the region's geographical conditions and volume of cases warrant such a facility.
The demand comes amid reports that a high court bench is proposed to be established in Leh, prompting the Kargil Bar to seek a similar facility for the district and suspend judicial work over the demand.
"The suspension of court work will continue till September 24. We are seeking regular functioning of the high court bench at Kargil in the interest of litigants and the legal fraternity," president Riyaz Ahmed Khan told reporters here.
He said that a widespread support has been received for "our call for justice".
"We will review our action on September 24. We warn the UT administration to take the strike of the Bar seriously. We demand that the LG and chief justice intervene," he said.
The Bar Association said the absence of the high court bench has caused difficulties to litigants and members of the legal fraternity.
"We have no objection to the establishment of a high court bench in Leh, but at the same time, we want a circuit bench to function from Kargil as well," Ahmed said.
Ladakh is a vast and geographically challenging region, with settlements located far from each other, making access to judicial services difficult for people in remote areas, he said.
"Our long-standing demand has been that whenever a high court circuit bench is established in Ladakh, Kargil should also have a circuit bench, keeping in view the volume of cases and geographical conditions," Ahmed said.
The Bar Association appealed to the UT administration to give a positive response to the demand and take steps towards establishing the circuit bench at Kargil.
Members of the Bar said they would continue to press for their demands during the period of the protest.
