Supreme Court To Pronounce Judgment On Judicial Officers’ Eligibility For Direct Appointment As District Judges
The Supreme Court of India is set to pronounce its judgment imminently on the eligibility of judicial officers for direct appointment as district judges under the bar quota. A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai has been hearing a batch of petitions arising from a dispute about whether judicial officers who have completed the required seven years of practice as advocates before joining the judicial service can be considered eligible for direct recruitment as district judges in posts reserved exclusively for lawyers.
The constitutional provision under scrutiny is Article 233(2) of the Constitution, which states that a person not already in the service of the Union or State shall be eligible for appointment as a district judge only if they have been an advocate or pleader for not less than seven years and have received the High Court’s recommendation. The issue stems from cases like that of Rejanish K.V., who had practiced law for over seven years, joined the subordinate judiciary as a munsiff magistrate before his appointment finalized, and whose eligibility was challenged on the grounds that his legal practice was not continuous at the time of appointment.
The Court has been considering whether the eligibility for appointment should be assessed at the time of application or at the time of appointment and whether judicial service interrupts the continuity of eligibility under the Constitution. This judgment is highly anticipated as it has wide implications on judicial recruitment policies and the career progression of judicial officers across India.
The Supreme Court had reserved its verdict and announced it will deliver the judgment imminently, likely on October 9, 2025, clarifying these contentious constitutional issues regarding recruitment under Article 233(2).
Thus, the Supreme Court’s forthcoming judgment will clarify and potentially reshape the eligibility criteria for judicial officers seeking direct appointment as district judges under the advocate quota, impacting judicial recruitment nationwide.
