Chhattisgarh High Court Puts Hold On 2024 Civil Judges Exam Awaiting SC's Ruling On Minimum Practice Requirement

The Chhattisgarh High Court on 07.04.2025 stayed the Chhattisgarh Civil Judge (Junior Division) 2024 Examination until further orders.

During the hearing of a writ petition filed before the High Court, the bench was informed by the Advocate General appearing for the State of Chhattisgarh that the Karnataka and Gujarat High Courts have already put on hold the recruitment process for the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division) to await the Supreme Court's decision on minimum practice condition.

On being informed about the same, the bench comprising Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Kumar Verma stayed the examination which was scheduled to be held on 18^th May 2025. The bench recorded:

“As the Apex Court is seized of the matter, respondent No.2/Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission is directed not to proceed with the examination in question until further orders.”

The order was passed during the hearing of a writ petition filed by Ms. Vinita Yadav, a law graduate desirous of appearing for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) Exam 2024. Being a full-time government employee, she is statutorily barred from enrolling as an advocate under the BCI Rules (Rule 49 of BCI Rules framed under the Act of 1961), which prohibits the enrollment of individuals engaged in any full-time occupation.

The petitioner filed the present writ petition being aggrieved by the following:

1. The amendment in the Chhattisgarh Lower Judicial Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2006 by the Department of Law and Legislative Affairs, Government of Chhattisgarh according to which a candidate must be enrolled as an advocate under the Advocates Act of 1961, to sit for the Civil Judge Exam.
2. The advertisement published by the CGPSC in December 2024 inviting applications for the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division), as per which one of the essential requirements to apply for the Exam is that the candidate must be enrolled as an advocate under the Act of 1961.

In respect of the above, the High Court of Chhattisgarh had earlier directed the CGPSC to permit the candidates to fill their online forms even if they were not enrolled as an advocate under the Advocates Act 1961. This was done purely as an interim (temporary) measure until the final outcome of the writ petition.

Case Details: MS. VINITA YADAV Vs THE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH & ORS. | WPS No. 608 of 2025

Click Here To Read Order