The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has laid down guidelines for sub-ordinate judiciary on visit of Chief Justice /Justices.
According to the circular issued by the Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court no Judicial Officer shall receive, see-off or visit the visiting the Chief Justice/ Judge during court hours. During the official visits of Chief Justice/Judges, a senior non judicial administrative officer will receive and see-off and provide protocol services to them as per norms.
If the visiting the Chief Justice/Judge wants to hold a meeting or address the judicial officers, it will be done either before or after court hours. If the visiting Chief Justice/Judge wants to call judicial officer for official purposes, he will be called either before or after the court hours. No judicial officer will visit the visiting Chief Justice/Judge unless called for official purposes. No arrangements for any private visit of the Chief Justice/Judges shall be made by any judicial officer.
If the arrangements in connection with an official visit of the Chief Justice/Judges is required to be made by the district judge or the Chief Judicial Magistrate, all the bills shall be raised in the-name of and the payment shall be made directly by the High Court to the extent permitted and no personal funds will be used by any judicial officer for this purpose.
No judicial officer shall arrange any private trip including any excursion trip or visit to a religious place for the visiting Chief Justice/Judges. No judicial officer will arrange hotel, food or transport for the visiting the Chief Justice/Judge, their staff members and security personnel. No judicial officer or court servant will offer or provide any gift or hospitality to the Chief Justice/Judges.
No function will be organized by the Judicial Officer(s) during the visit of the Chief Justice/Judges except official functions organized on written direction and at the cost of the government. Any violation of these instructions will be considered as gross misconduct rendering the concerned judicial officer to strict disciplinary action.
In the event of visit by any Chief Justice and the judge of the High Court no judicial officer shall be assigned duty as Liaison Officer and that only a senior non-judicial administrative officer will perform the services of a protocol officer unless such an officer is not available in which case preferably Mobile Magistrate/Traffic Magistrate or Leave Reserve Officers, if any, will be assigned duties as Liaison Officers and no Judicial Officer or the District Judge shall receive or see off the Chief Justice or other Judges of the Court during court hours at the road-side of the Highways or at any other places.
