Justice Sanjeev Kumar Appointed Acting Chief Justice of J&K and Ladakh High Court After Justice Arun Palli's Elevation to Supreme Court

The President has appointed Justice Sanjeev Kumar to perform the duties of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh under Article 223 of the Constitution, following Justice Arun Palli's appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

The Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice, issued a gazette notification on 1 June 2026 appointing Justice Sanjeev Kumar, a sitting Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, to perform the duties of the office of Chief Justice of that court. The appointment follows the elevation of Justice Arun Palli, who was serving as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, to the Supreme Court of India. The notification was issued in exercise of powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India and is to be published in the Gazette of India, Part I, Section 2.

The Constitutional Basis for the Appointment

Article 223 of the Constitution empowers the President to appoint a Judge of a High Court to perform the duties of the office of Chief Justice when that office falls vacant or when the Chief Justice is unable to perform the duties of the office. In this instance, the vacancy arose because Justice Arun Palli was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, thereby vacating the position of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The notification, bearing reference number K. 11019/09/2026-USJ/II and dated 1 June 2026, was signed by Jagannath Srinivasan, Joint Secretary to the Government of India, and issued from Jaisalmer House, 26, Man Singh Road, New Delhi.

Distribution and Administrative Effect

Copies of the notification were directed to a wide range of constitutional and administrative authorities. These included Justice Sanjeev Kumar himself through the Registrar General of the High Court at Jammu and Srinagar, the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh at Leh, the Chief Secretary of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, and the Principal Secretary to the Government of Ladakh.

Finance authorities of both Union Territories — the Principal Secretary, Finance Department, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and the Secretary Finance, Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh — were also notified, reflecting the administrative and financial implications of the change in the head of the court.

The President's Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office, and the office of the Chief Justice of India were among the other recipients. The Senior Technical Director, NIC, Department of Justice, was directed to upload the notification on the Department of Justice website at www.doj.gov.in. The copy distribution was handled by Anant Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India.

Outcome

With effect from 1 June 2026, Justice Sanjeev Kumar performs the duties of the office of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The appointment is consequent upon Justice Arun Palli's elevation to the Supreme Court of India and is made under Article 223 of the Constitution of India.