Supreme Court Reduces Practice Requirement for Entry-Level Judicial Exams to One Year

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday modified its May 2025 judgment on eligibility for entry-level judicial service examinations, reducing the mandatory legal practice requirement for law graduates from three years to one year.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices A.G. Masih and K. Vinod Chandran passed the order while dismissing a review petition. The decision was delivered by a 2:1 majority.

Under the modified ruling, candidates appearing for judicial service examinations notified between May 25, 2025, and March 31, 2027, will remain eligible irrespective of their prior legal practice experience.

However, candidates selected through these examinations will initially be appointed as trainee judicial officers. They will have to undergo one year of training at a judicial academy, followed by another year of structured clerkship.

The Supreme Court had, in its May 2025 judgment, barred fresh law graduates from directly appearing for entry-level judicial service examinations and introduced a minimum requirement of three years of legal practice.

The latest ruling modifies that requirement, allowing candidates with one year of legal practice to meet the eligibility criterion going forward, while providing a transitional arrangement for examinations notified during the specified period.

The decision is expected to provide relief to law graduates aspiring to join the lower judiciary while retaining structured training and practical exposure before they assume judicial responsibilities.

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