3-Yr Law Practice Must for Judicial Service: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed the door on fresh law graduates entering judicial service, restoring an earlier pre-requisite of at least three years of legal practice for becoming a civil judge in the district courts, stating that there is no substitute for first-hand experience of courts and administration of justice.

- Abraham Thomas

NEW DELHI:

The decision was passed by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai in light of responses received from various states and high courts seeking reconsideration of a 2002 judgment which permitted fresh law graduates to become civil judges.

The court said, "The experience of various High Courts has also shown that such fresh law graduates, upon their entry in judicial service, begin to show behavioural and temperament problems."

The 2002 decision scrapped the pre-requisite, imposed by the top court in 1993, in order to attract the best talent. Since then, admissions at the entry level have been open to freshers who clear the Provincial Civil Service-Judicial examination conducted by either public service commissions or high courts.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and justices AG Masih and K Vinod Chandran said, "From the affidavits of almost all the high courts, it is seen that for the last 20 years during which the recruitment of fresh law graduates as judicial officers without a single day of practice at the Bar has been permitted, the said endeavour has not been a successful experience. The appointment of such fresh law graduates has led to many problems."