Supreme Court Cuts Practice Requirement for Judicial Exams

The Supreme Court has reduced the mandatory legal practice requirement for law graduates appearing in entry-level judicial service examinations from three years to one year.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices A.G. Masih and K. Vinod Chandran delivered the decision by a 2:1 majority while dismissing the review petition.

The court said candidates appearing for judicial service exams notified between May 25, 2025, and March 31, 2027, will remain eligible irrespective of their previous legal experience.

However, those selected will initially be appointed as trainee judicial officers. They will undergo one year of training at a judicial academy, followed by another year of structured clerkship.
The Supreme Court had, in May 2025, introduced a three-year legal practice requirement for fresh law graduates seeking to enter the lower judiciary.