Supreme Court Mandates Three Years’ Legal Practice for Judicial Service
In a transformative judgment delivered on May 20, 2025, the Supreme Court of India decisively reinstated the requirement of a minimum of three years’ legal practice for candidates aspiring to enter the lower judiciary as Civil Judges (Junior Division). The Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice A.G. Masih, and Justice K. Vinod Chandran delivered this verdict in the case of All India Judges Association and Others v. Union of India and Others (Writ Petition (C) No. 1022 of 1989). Calculation of the Three-Year Practice Requirement A pivotal clarification in the judgment is that the three-year practice mandate is to be computed from the date of provisional enrollment with a State Bar Council, not from the date of passing the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). This period includes the time spent as a provisionally enrolled advocate, provided the candidate subsequently clears the AIBE and obtains permanent registration. The Court further directed that a certificate at...