Judicial Officers with 7 Years' Experience Now Eligible for Direct Appointment as District Judges: Supreme Court

In a landmark ruling on October 9, the Supreme Court of India has opened the door for judicial officers from the subordinate judicial services (such as Civil Judge Junior Division, Munsif Magistrate, etc.) to be directly recruited as District Judges, provided they have at least seven years of combined experience as an advocate and judicial officer.

The Constitution Bench of five judges delivered this verdict unanimously. It ruled that subordinate judicial officers who have a total of seven years or more of legal practice and service as judicial officers are eligible to apply for direct recruitment to the post of District Judge.

This decision is particularly significant for those officers who practiced law before joining judicial services. The Court also clarified that the minimum age of an applicant must be at least 35 years on the date of application for the post of District Judge or Additional District Judge.

The judgment was authored by Justice B.R. Gavai, with Justices M.M. Sundresh, Aravind Kumar, Satish Chandra Sharma, and K. Vinod Chandran concurring. The Bench addressed four key constitutional questions regarding eligibility criteria for direct recruitment to higher judicial services.

This verdict is expected to have far-reaching consequences, as it creates a clear path for talented judicial officers in the subordinate judiciary to rise directly to the position of District Judge.