India
Supreme Court cuts practice requirement for judicial service exams to one year
The Supreme Court reduced the mandatory practice period for entry-level judicial service exams from three years to one year and added one year each of training and clerkship. The 2:1 ruling dismissed review petitions against a May 2025 judgment that restored the three-year requirement.
The Supreme Court on Friday reduced the mandatory practice requirement for law graduates appearing for entry-level judicial service examinations from three years to one year. The court also added one year each of training and clerkship. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice AG Masih and Justice K Vinod Chandran delivered a 2:1 split verdict while dismissing review petitions against the court's May 2025 judgment that had restored the three-year practice requirement. The review petitions argued that the rule could discourage meritorious law graduates from joining the judiciary soon after graduation. The court noted that the sudden restoration of the requirement without transitional arrangements had caused hardship to young lawyers and graduates. Chief Justice Surya Kant said candidates covered by judicial examination notifications issued between May 20, 2025 and March 31, 2027 would be eligible to apply regardless of their prior experience.
- law graduates
- India Supreme Court
- judicial service examinations
- Supreme Court judicial service
- judicial service recruitment rules
- law practice requirement Supreme Court
- law graduates judicial service
- judicial training program
- Trainee Judicial Officers
- one year law practice
- Supreme Court judgment May 2025
- bar
- Judicial Academy training
- Supreme Court reduces mandatory legal practice for entry-level judicial exams
- entry-level judicial exam
- new rules for entry-level judicial exam
From
