Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati has officially taken office as the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The oath of office was administered by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday at the Shalimar Auditorium, located within the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in Kashmir.
The ceremony began with the rendition of the national song, followed by the National Anthem. Among those present on the occasion were Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather, senior judges of the High Court, Cabinet ministers, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and other senior civil and police officials. He holds degrees in law, including an LL.M. in Mercantile Law and a Ph.D. focusing on public employment and the role of the Supreme Court of India.
Born on September 21, 1970, Justice Bhati served as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court before his elevation as Chief Justice of the J&K and Ladakh High Court. Justice Bhati enrolled as an advocate in 1992 and practised for nearly 25 years before the Rajasthan High Court, handling matters relating to writ jurisdiction, criminal law, public interest litigation and revenue law. During his legal career, he served as Additional Advocate General for Rajasthan and was Standing Counsel for the Indian Railways for 16 years. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Rajasthan High Court on November 16, 2016, and became a permanent judge on March 16, 2018.
The Registrar General of the High Court read out the President’s warrant of appointment before the oath was administered.
