Justice Tashi recommended as CJ of J&K, Ladakh High Court

Srinagar, Sep 17: The Supreme Court (SC) Collegium Tuesday recommended Justice Tashi Rabstan as Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.

The collegium headed by Chief Justice of India, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud made the recommendation in suppression of the July 11 proposal by which Justice Tashi Rabstan was recommended to be the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya.

“The collegium in supersession of its earlier recommendation made on July 11, 2024, recommends that Justice Tashi Rabstan be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” read the collegium’s fresh recommendation.

Since Justice Rabstan is now being recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Collegium also proposed the appointment of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait as Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh.

Justice Tashi Rabstan is the senior most puisne Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He was appointed as a Judge on March 8, 2013, and is due to retire on April 9, 2025.

“Justice Tashi Rabstan belongs to Ladakh and would be the first Chief Justice from the region of Ladakh which has otherwise little or no representation among the Judges of the High Courts and no representation at all so far in the office of Chief Justice,” the collegiums said. Besides belonging to Ladakh, he is a Buddhist and belongs to the Bot Scheduled Tribe and his appointment will bring diversity in the office of Chief Justices of the High Courts,” it said.

Born on April 10, 1963, in the village Skur Buchan of Leh district of Ladakh, Justice Rabstan graduated and also did an LLB from the University of Jammu (JU).

He was enrolled as an Advocate on March 6, 1990, in the Bar Council of Jammu and Kashmir and started practising in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and various other High Courts on arbitrations, constitution, service, election, civil, and criminal matters.

Justice Rabstan remained Standing Counsel for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, from 1997 till 2005.

He was appointed as Additional Central Government Standing Counsel for Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Jammu Wing, in September 1998.

He also remained as panel counsel for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from April 2008 till December 31, 2011.

He was appointed as Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on March 7, 2013.

He was appointed as permanent Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on May 16, 2014.