Supreme Court Cuts Bar-Practice Requirement for Judicial Service from Three Years to One
The Supreme Court reduced the mandatory bar-practice requirement for entry into judicial service as Civil Judge (Junior Division) from three years to one year, modifying its own 2025 ruling that had restored the three-year rule. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant with Justices Augustine George Masih and K. Vinod Chandran issued the directions, with Justice Chandran dissenting. For notifications issued on or after 1 April 2027, candidates need one year of actual practice plus one year of training and one year of clerkship after selection. The requirement stands waived for the transition window of 20 May 2025 to 31 March 2027.
Article 233 governs appointment of district judges; Article 234 covers recruitment to the subordinate judiciary by the Governor in consultation with the High Court and State PSC | Article 235 vests control over subordinate courts in the High Court | Surya Kant is the Chief Justice of India