The Supreme Court is set to hear a crucial question on whether judicial officers who have already completed seven years of practice as advocates before joining the judiciary can be considered for direct recruitment to Additional District Judge positions under the Bar quota.
A five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, Justice Aravind Kumar, Justice S.C. Sharma, and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, will hear arguments over three days. The Court will examine whether a candidate’s combined experience as an advocate and in judicial service can be counted towards eligibility, and whether eligibility should be assessed at the time of application or at the time of appointment.
The matter arises after the Kerala High Court had set aside an ADJ appointment on the ground that the appointee was already in judicial service, despite having the required seven years of Bar experience when applying. The SC’s ruling is expected to clarify how experience is calculated for ADJ recruitment across the country.
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