Shrinagar: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates for appointment as judges of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The decision was taken during a Collegium meeting on October 29, 2026.
The recommendation is an important step towards filling vacant positions in the High Court and strengthening the judicial system in the region. The list includes eight male advocates and one woman advocate, Tabasum Zafar.
J&K High Court Judge Appointment: Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Nine Advocates
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the proposal to appoint nine advocates as judges of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The decision was announced following a Collegium meeting held on October 29, 2026. The nine advocates recommended for appointment are:
- Vishal Sharma
- Vikram Kumar Sharma
- Namgyal Wangchuk
- Pawan Kumar Kundal
- Tahir Majid Shamsi
- Tabasum Zafar
- Amit Gupta
- Pranav Kohli
- Anupam Raina
These recommendations will now move through the official judicial appointment process.
J&K High Court Judge Appointment: High Court Collegium Had Recommended 11 Names Earlier
The latest recommendations follow an earlier selection process conducted by the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court Collegium.
In April 2026, the High Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Arun Palli, recommended 11 names for appointment as High Court judges.
The list included 10 advocates from the Bar quota and one judicial officer from the Bench quota. However, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates from the earlier list. Two names were not included in its latest recommendation. They are advocate Jahangir Iqbal Ganai and judicial officer Yash Paul Bourney.
Tabasum Zafar May Become First Kashmiri Woman High Court Judge
One of the important names in the latest recommendation is Tabasum Zafar. If her appointment receives final approval, she could become the first Kashmiri woman advocate to be appointed as a judge of the High Court. Her recommendation is also significant for women’s representation in the higher judiciary.
Jammu & Kashmir And Ladakh High Court Has 11 Vacancies
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has a sanctioned strength of 25 judges. This includes 19 permanent judges and six additional judges.
According to the reported figures, the High Court currently has 14 judges, leaving 11 vacancies. The latest recommendations are expected to help address the shortage of judges and improve the court’s capacity to handle cases.
FAQs
Tabasum Zafar is one of the nine advocates recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment as a judge of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. If appointed, she could become the first Kashmiri woman advocate to hold this position.
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates for appointment as judges of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The decision was taken on October 29, 2026.
The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has a sanctioned strength of 25 judges. It currently has 14 judges, leaving 11 vacancies.
