Three-Year Practice Mandate for Judicial Service

Key Points

• 1The Supreme Court restored a minimum of three years of legal practice as a mandatory condition for entry-level judicial service.
• 2Bharat Chugh believes that three years of practice at the Bar does not significantly enhance a candidate’s legal acumen or preparedness.
• 3Prashant Reddy thinks it is a step in the right direction, but may be insufficient and that candidates should get more courtroom experience.
• 4The verdict does not lay down any concrete parameters to assess such experience and risks becoming a mere formality.
• 5The India Justice Report shows that the proportion of women judges in the district judiciary rose from 30% in 2017 to 38.3% in 2025.
• 6Under Article 234 of the Constitution, the power to prescribe eligibility criteria for members of the district judiciary rests with the executive, in consultation with the State Public Service Commissions and the respective High Courts.