Supreme Court rejects plea to count post-graduation as bar practice

The case concerns a batch of petitions seeking clarification or review of a 2025 Supreme Court judgment that mandated a minimum of three years' practice at the Bar as an eligibility criterion for appointment as a Civil Judge (Junior Division). The core issue is whether post-graduation or higher education periods should be counted towards this three-year practice requirement.

Who it concerns: Petitioner: Bhumika Trust (NGO); Respondents: Union of India and others; Bench: Surya Kant, CJI, and Augustine George Masih, J.

What the court decided

• Allowed I.A. No. 163059/2025 and granted permission to file a Review Petition.
• The Court is considering petitions seeking clarification on the interplay of the 2025 judgment with other rulings.
• The Court is considering Review Petitions seeking to recall the direction mandating 3 years' practice at the Bar.

Also in the document

• The 2025 judgment under review restored the mandatory 3-year practice requirement after it had been removed in 2002.
• The Court noted that the 2025 judgment was based on findings that fresh law graduates lacked familiarity with court procedure and decorum.
• The current batch of matters includes both a Writ Petition for clarification and multiple Review Petitions challenging the 2025 directions.