New Delhi. The Supreme Court has made a major change in the recruitment rules of Civil Judge (Junior Division). The apex court has removed the condition of practicing law for 3 years. However, this relaxation will be applicable only to the candidates of recruitment notifications issued from 20 May 2025 to 31 March 2027. For the Judicial Service Exam notification coming after April 1, 2027, it will be mandatory for the candidates to have one year of advocacy practice. Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice AG Masih gave this decision in majority, while Justice Vinod Chandran disagreed with it.
According to Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice AG Masih, the condition of three years of advocacy practice applicable to the candidates has been removed for the Judicial Service Exam notification coming from May 20, 2025 to March 31, 2027. However, selected candidates will be appointed as trainee judges and will have to undergo one year training at the Judicial Academy. After training, those judges will also have to do a clerkship of one year. Clerkship of 6 months will be under the District Judge and 6 months under the High Court Judge. Whereas for the Judicial Service Exam notification coming after April 2027, the candidates should have one year of law practice. After being selected, they will also have to undergo 1 year training followed by 1 year clerkship of 6 months under a District Judge and 6 months under a High Court Judge.
The Supreme Court said that due to the sudden reinstatement of the condition of three years of advocacy practice in May 2025 in the recruitment rules of Civil Judge (Junior Division), those law graduates who had prepared for their careers based on the system of that time had to face problems. The Supreme Court acknowledged that the sudden re-imposition of the three-year practice rule without any transitional arrangement has caused problems to young lawyers and law graduates, hence some changes were necessary.
