Kerala High Court Resolves To Revise Selection Rules For Civil Judge (Junior Division), Minimum Three Years Of Practise Needed To Apply

In a Full Court meeting of judges, the Kerala High Court has resolved to carry out amendments in the Selection Rules for appointment to the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division), specifying a requirement of minimum of three years of practise as an Advocate to apply for the Kerala Judicial Service Examination. 

This means that aspiring candidates must have practised as an Advocate for at least three years before they are eligible to take the Munsiff Magistrate test to become a Civil Judge (Junior Division).

As per the last notification issued on January 31, 2024 for applying to the Kerala Judicial Service Examination held in 2024, there was no requirement of three-year mandatory practice as qualification for applying to the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division).

Last year, the Madhya Pradesh High Court brought in a similar amendment of their rules to mandate that applicants for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam should have either secured 70% marks in the LL.B course or three years of practice. The Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected a challenge to this amendment. In April this year, the Supreme Court affirmed the High Court's judgment which upheld this amendment of MP judicial service rules.

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