21/08/2026
⚖️ SUPREME COURT VERDICT: MAJOR CHANGE IN 3-YEAR PRACTICE RULE FOR JUDICIAL SERVICE
The Supreme Court has delivered a significant decision concerning the eligibility requirement for recruitment to entry-level judicial service / Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts.
🔹 What has changed?
The Supreme Court has modified the earlier requirement of 3 years of practice at the Bar. The required prior practice has now been reduced to 1 year for the regular framework.
🔹 What happens after selection?
The remaining two years are effectively replaced by a structured training programme:
📌 1 Year – Judicial Academy Training
Selected candidates will undergo intensive judicial training.
📌 1 Year – Structured Clerkship
This will involve practical exposure under the supervision of District Judges and High Court Judges.
Together, the two years of training/clerkship will count towards the overall practice requirement.
🔹 TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT
For recruitment notifications issued during the transitional period up to 31 March 2027, the Court has provided special relief from the prior practice requirement, enabling eligible law graduates to participate despite not having completed three years of practice.
🔹 WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?
The decision seeks to strike a balance between two competing considerations:
⚖️ Practical experience at the Bar
and
🎓 Early entry of talented law graduates into the Judiciary
The Supreme Court has therefore retained the importance of practical exposure while creating a structured institutional mechanism for judicial training.
For young advocates and law graduates aspiring to become Civil Judges, this is undoubtedly a major development.
The path has changed — but practical legal experience remains important.
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