On 13 March 2026, the Supreme Court of India held an important hearing on the review petition challenging the mandatory 3-year practice rule for judicial service examinations. The discussion took place before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant.
The hearing focused on whether candidates should be required to complete three years of legal practice before appearing for judiciary exams, a rule that has recently created concerns among law graduates, especially students from National Law Universities.
Stress Among Law Students Highlighted
During the hearing, CJI Justice Surya Kant acknowledged the stress and uncertainty that the rule has created among students. According to him, since the rule was introduced, many law graduates — particularly those studying in NLUs — have been anxious about their career paths and eligibility for judicial services.
The Court noted that the objective of the rule is to ensure that judges have adequate courtroom experience, but its current implementation may be creating unintended difficulties for fresh graduates.
Possible Shift: Practice Requirement After Selection
A key point raised by the Chief Justice was that the three-year practice requirement may be better applied after the selection process rather than before it.
The CJI suggested that talented candidates could first be selected through the judicial examination, and then undergo structured practical training before formally assuming judicial duties.
Possible training models discussed included:
- Appointment as legal counsel in courts
- Working as law clerks attached to High Court judges
- Structured exposure to courtroom procedures and judicial work
This approach, according to the Court, could ensure both merit-based selection and practical experience without preventing fresh graduates from entering the judicial pipeline.
Application Deadlines May Be Extended
The Court also suggested that application deadlines for ongoing judiciary examinations should be extended until 30 April 2026, until a final decision is delivered.
For example, the Bihar Judicial Services Examination application process, which was expected to begin on 18 March, may now remain open until 30 April.
This extension indicates that the bench may be considering modifications to the rule, although no final decision has been made yet.
Question of LLM Degree in Experience Calculation
Another issue discussed during the hearing was whether an Master of Laws (LLM) degree could be counted within the three-year experience requirement.
The Court clarified that this question will initially be decided by the respective High Courts. If the matter is not resolved there, it can later be brought before the Supreme Court for further consideration.
Next Hearing Scheduled
The Supreme Court has adjourned the matter to the next hearing on 20 March 2026. Legal experts believe the Court may either modify the implementation of the rule or provide detailed guidelines regarding how the experience requirement should apply.
From the discussion so far, it appears that CJI Justice Surya Kant is inclined toward implementing the 3-year practice requirement after selection rather than before selection, though the final ruling is still awaited.
