Jammu, Oct. 22 -- A historic chapter in Indian judicial history unfolded on Wednesday as the high court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh commenced regular hearings at its newly established Leh bench. Located at an altitude of over 11,500 feet, it is the country's highest high court bench.

Chief justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjay Parihar presided over the first regular division bench. Proceedings were conducted in a hybrid format, with chief justice Bhati attending virtually and justice Parihar presiding physically in Leh.

The division bench cleared five listed matters before justice Parihar sat as a single bench to hear 60 individual cases.

Justice Parihar said that the 65 cases listed on the opening day represented an init...