Yash Paul Bourney sworn in as J&K and Ladakh High Court judge
Synopsis
Veteran judicial officer Yash Paul Bourney — with stints as Principal District & Sessions Judge across Leh, Baramulla, Udhampur, and Jammu — was elevated to the J&K and Ladakh High Court bench on 22 September 2026, just three days after the Ministry of Law and Justice issued his appointment notification.
Key Takeaways
Yash Paul Bourney was sworn in as Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on 22 September 2026 in Srinagar .
Chief Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati administered the oath; Registrar General M.
Sharma conducted proceedings.
The Ministry of Law and Justice had notified the appointment on 19 September 2026 .
Justice Bourney, born 25 August 1967 , hails from Kathua district and served as Principal District & Sessions Judge at Leh, Baramulla, Udhampur, and Jammu .
He also held roles as Special Judge Anti-Corruption , Director J&K Judicial Academy , and most recently as Member, J&K Special Tribunal, Jammu .
Senior judicial officer Yash Paul Bourney was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at a formal ceremony held in Srinagar on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati in the Chief Justice's court, marking a significant elevation in Bourney's distinguished three-decade judicial career.
Ceremony Details
The Warrant of Appointment was read out by Registrar General M. K. Sharma, who also conducted the formal proceedings. Several sitting judges attended in person, including Justices Rajnesh Oswal, Mohd. Akram Chowdhary, Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Rajesh Sekhri, Mohd. Yousuf Wani, and Sanjay Parihar. Justices Sanjeev Kumar, Sindhu Sharma, Sanjay Dhar, Rahul Bharti, Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, and Shahzad Azeem participated via virtual mode from Jammu.
Among the dignitaries present were Central Administrative Tribunal's Srinagar Bench's Judicial Member Mir Syed Latif, Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra, ADGP CID M. K. Sinha, Commissioner and Secretary (Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs) Achal Sethi, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, the IGP Kashmir, the IGP Security, senior advocates, and members of the Kashmir Advocates' Association and the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu. Family members, close relatives, and friends of Justice Bourney also attended, lending a personal note to the occasion.
The Appointment
The Ministry of Law and Justice had issued the notification formally appointing Bourney as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on 19 September 2026 — just three days before the swearing-in. His elevation follows a career spent almost entirely within the J&K judicial system, making him well-acquainted with the legal landscape of the Union Territory.
Justice Bourney's Judicial Career
Born on 25 August 1967, Justice Bourney hails from village Dadwara, Bhaddu, Billawar in Kathua district. Over the course of his judicial career, he served as Principal District & Sessions Judge at Leh, Baramulla, Udhampur, and Jammu, as well as Special Judge, Anti-Corruption in both Srinagar and Jammu.
He also held key institutional roles including Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority; Registrar Vigilance at the High Court; and Director, J&K Judicial Academy. Most recently, prior to his elevation, he was serving on deputation as Member, J&K Special Tribunal, Jammu. His appointment adds experienced district judiciary representation to the High Court bench.
Significance for the J&K Bench
The elevation of a senior judicial officer with deep grassroots experience across multiple districts — including both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions — is expected to strengthen the bench's capacity to handle the substantial pendency of cases in the High Court. This comes amid ongoing judicial reforms in the Union Territory following the reorganisation of J&K in 2019, which gave the High Court jurisdiction over both Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The appointment is the latest in a series of bench reinforcements aimed at addressing the court's caseload.
Point of View
And who has served across the difficult terrain of Leh, brings a ground-level credibility that purely appellate-track appointments sometimes lack. The real question is whether such additions are keeping pace with the High Court's growing docket — the reorganisation of J&K added jurisdictional complexity without a commensurate early increase in bench strength. Appointments like this are necessary, but the pace of filling vacancies remains the true measure of the judiciary's commitment to access to justice in the region.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Yash Paul Bourney?
Yash Paul Bourney is a senior judicial officer from Kathua district in Jammu & Kashmir, born on 25 August 1967. He served as Principal District & Sessions Judge at Leh, Baramulla, Udhampur, and Jammu, and held roles including Special Judge Anti-Corruption and Director of the J&K Judicial Academy before his elevation to the High Court.
When was Yash Paul Bourney sworn in as High Court judge?
He was sworn in on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at a ceremony in Srinagar. The Ministry of Law and Justice had issued the formal appointment notification on 19 September 2026.
Who administered the oath to Justice Bourney?
Chief Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh administered the oath of office to Justice Bourney in the Chief Justice's court in Srinagar.
What was Justice Bourney's role immediately before his elevation?
Immediately prior to his appointment as High Court judge, Justice Bourney was serving on deputation as Member of the J&K Special Tribunal in Jammu. He had previously served as Principal District & Sessions Judge, Jammu.
Why is this appointment significant for the J&K and Ladakh High Court?
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has jurisdiction over a Union Territory that was reorganised in 2019, increasing its caseload and administrative complexity. Bourney's extensive experience across both divisions and his background in anti-corruption judiciary adds specialised depth to the bench.
