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Judicial Exams: Practice Rule Cut to One Year
21 Aug
Summary
- Mandatory legal practice for judicial exams reduced from three to one year.
- Exams notified between May 25, 2025 and March 31, 2027 have relaxed rules.
- Selected candidates will undergo two years of combined training and clerkship.
The Supreme Court has modified the entry requirements for judicial service exams, reducing the mandatory legal practice period from three years to one year. This updated rule is applicable to examinations notified between May 25, 2025, and March 31, 2027. Candidates selected through these exams will be appointed as trainee judicial officers and must complete a year of training at a judicial academy followed by a year of structured clerkship.
This decision, a 2:1 verdict by a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, addresses review petitions against a previous May 2025 ruling that mandated three years of practice. The court acknowledged the need for professional exposure but recognized the hardship the previous rule imposed on young lawyers. For examinations notified after April 1, 2027, the new arrangement will be fully implemented, providing a transitional period.
