Judiciary

The Judiciary is the system of courts that evaluates and implements the law in the State's name. It is the branch of government, and it administers justice according to the law. The courts apply the law and resolve disputes, and discipline law-breakers according to the law.

Judiciary Exams are usually the PCS (J) Exams, i.e., the Provincial Civil Service Judicial Exam. It is the entry-level test for those who completed their graduation in law.

Through this civil judge exam law graduates can become district magistrates, additional district magistrates, or as a district court judge in India.

States Conducting Judicial Service Examination

State Judicial Service exams in India are conducted by each state differently. In total, 24 states in India conduct Judicial Service examinations nearly every year. These are as mentioned below.

Judicial Service Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024: Know It All

All aspirants must know the detailed Judiciary Eligibility Criteria for the upcoming PCS J exams. Only Indian citizens can apply for the civil judge exam 2024 in India. 

1. Educational Qualifications: Those with a degree in LL.B and enrolment as an Advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961. Those who have a degree in LL.B are eligible
2. Experience: No experience is required.
3. Age: The age should be between 21 to 35 years.

There are two entry levels for two to apply for the Judicial Services Exam. Check out the table below to know the require Judiciary Exam Eligibility use for the upcoming exams.

The qualifications to participate in the direct recruitment process are as follows:

1. Candidate must be a Citizen of India.
2. Candidate must have a LLB degree from a recognized University in India. A candidate appearing in his final year LLB Examinations is usually not eligible, one of the exceptions being the state of Rajasthan (In Rajasthan a Provisional Degree is required at the time of mains examinations). Some states also require enrollment as an advocate under the Advocates Act 1961 along with membership in the State Bar Council.
3. Age – The age limit varies from state to state where for most of the states the prescribed age limit is 21 years to 35 years as on date specified in the notification. Age relaxation is provided for various categories (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD etc.) that too varies from state to state. A few States with different age criteria are mentioned below:

How to Plan?

The syllabus for the Subordinate Judicial Services examination varies from state-to-state although core subjects like Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure Code, Indian Contract Act, Indian Evidence Act, Limitation Act, Constitution of India, Specific Relief Act form part of syllabus of almost all states. The stage wise bifurcation is as follows:

1 ROUND

1. This stage consists of multiple-choice questions based Preliminary Examination.
2. The majority of the States have a single Objective Type Paper consisting of Law, General Awareness. Few states have a separate General Awareness based objective examination like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. Some states even include language-based questions or a separate subjective language paper like Gujarat.
3. The primary focus is on factual information based on bare provisions, amendments, case laws, maxims etc.

3 ROUND

1. The final stage of the recruitment process is the interview, also known as the Viva-Voce.
2. It aims to assess the general suitability of the candidate for the post.
3. Some states attach a specified qualifying percentage to this stage in order to get selected.
4. The Interview Board consists of hon'ble’ High Court Judges where recruitment process is conducted by The High Court whereas when it is conducted by the Public Service Commission, Panel members include Officials from the respective State Commission.

Higher Judicial Services

1. To those who have an inclination towards public services, judicial services can be a noteworthy choice.
2. It is a coveted job among law graduates as by cracking the judicial services examination one can directly become a Judge.
3. A Law Graduate can opt for a prestigious career in Judicial Services through state level competitive examinations.
4. Two avenues that unfold for a Law Graduate in Judicial Field are -

• Subordinate Judiciary Examination - It is an entry Level Examination to the Subordinate Judiciary where one can join as Civil Judge directly after graduation.
• Higher Judiciary Examination – This is an entry Level Examination for the Higher Judicial Services. One can apply for this examination after completing a minimum of 7 years of legal practice and join as an Additional District Judge / Additional Session Judge. When the selected candidate works in the Criminal side he is termed as an Additional Session Judge whereas if one works in the Civil Side the nomenclature of the post attached is Additional District Judge. Judicial Service can be a rewarding career choice in terms of satisfaction as one works directly for the upliftment of public/society and remains in close association with Law throughout one's career.

Eligibility

The qualifications to participate in the direct recruitment process are as follows:

1. Candidate must be a citizen of India.
2. Candidate must have been continuously practicing as an advocate for not less than seven years as on the last date mentioned in the respective notification. Some states require proof of candidate’s independent engagement and conducting of not less than a specific number of cases (other than bunch cases) per year in the preceding three years.
3. Age : Candidate must have attained the age of 35 years and must not have attained the age of 45 years. Age relaxation is provided for various categories (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD etc .) which varies from state to state.

How To Plan?

The syllabus for the Higher Judicial Services examination varies from state-to-state although core subjects like Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure Code, Indian Contract Act, Indian Evidence Act, Limitation Act, Constitution of India, Specific Relief Act form part of syllabus of almost all states. The stage wise bifurcation is as follows:

1 ROUND

1. This stage consists of multiple-choice questions based Preliminary Examination. The majority of the States have a single Objective Type Paper Consisting of Law, General Awareness. Some states even include language-based questions.
2. The primary focus is on factual information based on bare provisions, amendments, case laws, maxims etc.

2 ROUND

1. This stage consists of a written examination called the Mains Examination.
2. The basic idea of this stage is to check the in-depth knowledge of the candidate.
3. The number of papers under this stage vary from state to state but broad categorization can be made as follows:

• 1. Criminal Law
• 2. Civil Law
• 3. Local Laws of the state
• 4. General Knowledge / General Awareness (In some Specific States)
• 5. Language

3 ROUND

1. The final stage of the recruitment process is the interview, also known as the Viva-Voce.
2. It aims to assess the general suitability of the candidate for the post.
3. Some states attach a specified qualifying percentage to this stage in order to get selected.
4. The Interview Board consists of hon'ble’ High Court judges of the respective state.