Srinagar, October 5: The Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar Kashmir (Regd.) organised a felicitation programme in honour of Hon’ble Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhatti at the Common Bar Room of the Srinagar Wing of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday.
Also present on the occasion were Hon’ble Judges of the High Court — Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri, Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani, Justice Sanjay Parihar and Justice Yashpal Bourney — besides Mr. Mir Syed Lateef, Judicial Member / HoD, Central Administrative Tribunal, Srinagar. These Hon’ble Judges graced the occasion and were also felicitated.
Newly appointed Judge of the High Court, Mr. Justice Yashpal Bourney, was also felicitated on the occasion.
Mr. Waseem Gul, President of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar Kashmir (Regd.), delivered the welcome address. The proceedings were conducted by Advocate Bikram Deep Singh. A large number of advocates attended the function, including senior advocates Zaffar Ahmad Shah, G.A. Lone, R A Jan, Mohsin Ul Showkat Qadri, Syed Faisal Qadri, Tahir Majid Shamsi, Anupam Raina, Jehangir Ganie, Syed Manzoor, Anil Bhan, Bashir Ahmad Bashir, Showkat Makroo, Abdul Majid Dar, Ms. Arifa Jan and Ms. Masooda Jan, besides other advocates like Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, Adv Onkar Singh, Adv Mir Suhail, Adv Arif Sikandar Mir, Sharik J Riyaz, other lawyers and law officers of the Union Territory.
Responding to the felicitation, Hon’ble Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhatti expressed his delight at the warmth and strength of the Bar. Recalling his 24–25 years as a lawyer, he said his heart continues to beat for the legal fraternity. He paid rich tributes to the senior colleagues and noted that their handshake conveyed deep commitment, experience and sense of duty towards the institution.
The Chief Justice observed that he now recognises nearly 90 per cent of the faces present, a level of familiarity that would have been impossible in the initial days of his tenure. He described it as a pure professional joy to serve the common citizens of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and sought the fullest cooperation of the Bar in securing constitutional rights within the framework of law.
Praising the nearly 100-year-old legal tradition of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, he said the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has long commanded respect across the country, with judgments from the 1960s and 1970s still standing as benchmarks of judicial excellence. He expressed particular admiration for the thorough preparation of lawyers—senior, young and women alike—and their unwavering commitment to the cause of their clients.
The Hon’ble Chief Justice acknowledged the invaluable assistance rendered by the Bar in familiarising him with local laws, which made his task easier from the very first day. He emphasised that good judgments flow only from a strong Bar and expressed confidence that this partnership would yield research-driven, accurate and welfare-oriented decisions in the larger interest of the common man.
Recalling his lifelong image of Kashmir as “Jannat,” he shared how visits to Dal Lake, Hazratbal and the Shankaracharya temple had brought alive the natural beauty he had grown up admiring. Beyond the scenic splendour, he underlined the shared sense of duty towards the citizens. He described lawyers as the true power-holders who provide peace of mind to litigants and act as a healing balm for society’s complex problems.
Special mention was made of the strength of lady lawyers. The Chief Justice noted that nearly 50 per cent of recent recruitments in the High Court have been of women and urged greater representation of women advocates in the executive bodies of the Bar so that the institution continues to lead from the front.
Highlighting the role of technology, he called it an essential enabler and cautioned that lawyers and judges below the age of 50 who fail to master it risk being left behind. He urged young advocates to use technology with complete command—converting information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom—so that the legal system can scale new heights. He also appreciated the seamless virtual functioning between the Jammu and Srinagar wings and the growing role of the Ladakh Bar.
Welcoming the newly elevated Judge, Mr. Justice Yashpal Bourney, the Chief Justice invited every member of the Bar, irrespective of seniority, to approach him freely with constructive suggestions for institutional improvement. He pledged to uphold the traditions, culture and rich legacy of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and to work collectively to add a new chapter of excellence to its proud history.
This was the first time that such a felicitation function had been organised by the Bar Association. The Bar was brimming with excitement to welcome Hon’ble the Chief Justice. The Common Bar Room was jam-packed with advocates who turned up in large numbers, reflecting the high hopes the legal fraternity reposes in the Chief Justice. The overwhelming response is being seen as a positive development for the institution as a whole.
