Three Years at the Bar: The Supreme Court Restores an Entry Barrier to the Judicial Service

Article summary

A Supreme Court Bench heard, on 28 July 2026, review petitions against its 2025 judgment in All India Judges Association v. Union of India, which restored the requirement that a candidate seeking direct recruitment as a Civil Judge (Junior Division) — the entry rung of the district judiciary — must have a minimum of three years' practice as an advocate. That requirement had existed historically but was removed in 2002, on the recommendation of the Justice Shetty Commission, to let fresh law graduates enter the judicial service directly. The 2025 judgment reversed that position, holding that courtroom experience is necessary for a first-instance judge who must assess witnesses, weigh evidence and manage trials from day one. The review pleas argue the change disadvantages young graduates and does not guarantee competence, reopening a long-running debate about how India recruits and trains its lower judiciary, which handles the overwhelming majority of the country's cases.