The Supreme Court of India has reinstated the requirement that candidates must have a minimum of three years of legal practice to be eligible for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) examination. This decision, delivered on May 20, 2025, by a bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice A.G. Masih, and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, aims to ensure that judicial officers possess foundational courtroom experience before assuming their roles .
Key Highlights of the Judgment :
Mandatory Practice Restored: Candidates must have at least three years of legal practice, counted from the date of provisional enrollment as an advocate, to be eligible for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) examination.
Certification of Practice: Applicants are required to submit a certificate of practice. For those practicing in trial courts, this certificate must be issued by the Principal District Judge. For candidates practicing in High Courts, the certificate should be endorsed by an advocate with a minimum of 10 years of standing .
Exemption for Ongoing Recruitment: The three-year practice requirement will not apply to recruitment processes that have already been initiated by High Courts prior to this judgment. It will be applicable only to future recruitments .
To ne continued ...
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