Supreme Court Reinstates 3-Year Practice Requirement for Judicial Service Entry

On May 20, 2025, the Supreme Court mandated that candidates must have a minimum of three years of legal practice to be eligible for entry-level judicial positions, such as Civil Judge (Junior Division).  This decision, delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice AG Masih, and Justice K Vinod Chandran, aligns with the Court’s earlier stance in the 1993 All India Judges Association case.

Key Highlights:

Effective Date: The three-year practice requirement will apply only to recruitment processes initiated after May 20, 2025. Ongoing recruitment processes notified before this date will proceed under existing eligibility criteria.

Eligible Experience: Experience as a law clerk will count towards the three-year practice requirement.

Proof of Practice: Candidates must provide a certificate from an advocate with at least ten years of standing, endorsed by a judicial officer or a designated court official, to validate their legal practice experience.


The Court emphasized that appointing fresh law graduates without any courtroom experience has led to challenges in the judiciary.  It noted that theoretical knowledge and pre-service training cannot substitute for firsthand experience in legal practice.  The Court stated, “Such fresh law graduates have led to many problems… Neither knowledge based on law books nor pre-service training could be an adequate substitute to the first-hand experience of the working of the court system and administration of justice.”

This ruling aims to enhance the quality of the judiciary by ensuring that new judges possess practical legal experience, thereby improving their understanding of court procedures and the administration of justice.