Archive · 17 Jun 2025
Supreme Court Revives Practice Rule for Aspiring Judges
Imagine you want to become a judge right after finishing law school.
For a while, you could, but now the Supreme Court has changed the rules.
You now need three years of real-world experience as a lawyer before you can take the judge exam.
The court believes that experience in courtrooms is very important to be a good judge, more important than just learning in school.
Some people think this new rule is unfair to students who were studying to become judges before the rule was changed.
The court will now decide whether to change the implementation date of the rule.
The Supreme Court reinstated a rule requiring three years of legal practice before candidates can take civil judge exams.
This reverses a two-decade policy allowing fresh law graduates to enter the lower judiciary directly.
The Court stated that practical experience is vital, arguing that training alone isn't sufficient.
A review petition challenges the immediate implementation of the rule, citing unfairness to recent graduates.
Some High Courts, like Rajasthan, previously opposed the practice requirement, preferring fresh graduates.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, young law graduates, and the petitioner advocate.
- What
- The Supreme Court mandated three years of legal practice for civil judge exam eligibility.
- When
- The judgment was delivered last month, but implementation is under review.
- Where
- India
- Why
- The Court believes practical experience is vital for judges to handle complex cases.
Proponents of the Rule
Opponents of the Rule
Experience vs. Fresh Perspective
Proponents of the Rule
Believe practical experience is crucial for effective judging, allowing judges to handle sensitive issues and understand how the court system works.
Opponents of the Rule
Argue that fresh graduates bring in new energy and shouldn’t be barred from exams without prior practice.
Impact of implementation
Proponents of the Rule
Argue that allowing fresh graduates to become judges is imprudent as it is not a successful experiment.
Opponents of the Rule
The immediate implementation of the rule unfairly impacts recent graduates who have invested time and money preparing for exams based on prior eligibility rules.
- Rule Change
- Requires 3 years of legal practice before civil judge exams
- Previous Rule
- Fresh law graduates could take exams directly
- Practice Definition
- Includes Bar Council enrolment and clerking under judges
- Review Petition
- Filed to delay implementation for recent graduates
- Court's Reasoning
- Practical experience is vital for judging