SC cuts judicial exam practice rule to 1 year, adds 2 years of training after selection

The Supreme Court has changed the eligibility rules for entry-level judicial service exams, cutting the required legal practice from three years to one. A transitional exemption will let law graduates apply without prior practice until March 2027, but selected candidates will undergo two years of structured training and clerkship.The Supreme Court has changed the eligibility rules for entry-level judicial service exams, cutting the required legal practice from three years to one. Law graduates aiming for entry-level judicial service have received a major change in the eligibility rules.The Supreme Court has reduced the mandatory legal practice requirement for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment from three years to one year. The ruling came in a 2:1 verdict by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice K Vinod Chandran, who dissented.The Court, however, has not removed the need for practical exposure. Instead, it has created a new training and clerkship structure for selected candidates.FRESH LAW GRADUATES GET TRANSITIONAL RELIEFThere is an important exception for candidates caught between the old and new rules. For recruitment notifications issued between May 20, 2025 and March 31, 2027, law graduates can apply without prior practice. They will be treated as having completed one year of practice for eligibility purposes.For notifications issued from April 1, 2027, candidates will need at least one year of actual legal practice before appearing for the Civil Judge examination.PASSING THE EXAM WILL NOT MEAN IMMEDIATE JUDGESHIP Under the new system, selected candidates will initially become Trainee Judicial Officers rather than immediately taking charge as regular Civil Judges.They will undergo one year of intensive training at the State Judicial Academy, followed by another year of structured law clerkship. The clerkship will include six months under a district or higher judicial service judge and six months under a sitting High Court judge.Only after completing the required training and clerkship satisfactorily will candidates move into regular judicial service.The Supreme Court's reasoning keeps the emphasis on courtroom exposure, but shifts part of that experience from pre-exam practice to structured training after selection.- EndsPublished On: Aug 22, 2026 18:01 IST