Do you love to watch web series related to law? Are you patient, courteous, studious and impartial? If yes, then let’s learn how to become a Judge in India.

Being a judge is a responsibility and a badge of honour. You cannot just become a judge; you require a lot of training, effort, and dedication to be a competent judge. A judge presides over the court proceedings and listens to both the defendants and the prosecutors. They give a verdict in the court after listening to both parties along with laws applicable to the case.

If you want to become a judge in India, you have to keep yourself updated regarding the amendments to the law. In this article, let’s take a deep dive into the duties of a judge, qualifications and eligibility to become a judge, and much more.

Duties Of A Judge

As a judge, you have a lot of duties and responsibilities. Let’s look into some of them.

When you deliver justice, you should always be impartial. The judgment should never be biased towards your friends and acquaintances.
As a judge, you should be patient and allow both parties to present their cases, and only then you should make a verdict.
Being a judge, you should have a receptive mind. A judge should never conclude a case without hearing the defendant and the prosecutor.
As a judge, ensure that the decisions or orders given by you, are followed. On failure, a contempt of court order has to be filed.

Steps To Become A Judge

Let’s look into the steps to becoming a Judge.

Earn A Bachelor’s Degree

Once you have completed your 10+2, you get enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. You can have a bachelor’s in any field such as B.Com, BBA, BA, BCA, or B.Tech.

Enroll In A Law School

After completing your degree you must appear in different law exams such as CLAT, AILET, ACLAT, DULLB, and others to get enrolled in the LLB Course. There is another option, You can enrol directly for a five-year LLB program rather than finishing your bachelor’s first and then doing an LLB.

Qualify For The Judicial Service Exams

To become a judge in India, you must appear in the Judicial Services Examination or Provincial Civil Service Judicial Examination (PCJS). Through this exam, law graduates can become practising members of the subordinate judiciary. The exam is the only way for you to become a Subordinate court judge. After clearing the PCS (J) exam, there are two types of examinations- the Lower judicial and Higher judicial services. There are three rounds for the LJS and HJS examinations, and the details are given below:

Preliminary Examination: Preliminary examination is an objective-based examination. In this examination, you have to answer multiple-choice questions. The minimum passing percentage for general candidates is 60 per cent and 55 per cent for the reserved category.
Main Examination: It is a subjective-based examination. Candidates must acquire a minimum of 40 per cent in each subjective exam and 50 per cent in total. Only then a candidate is invited for the next round.
Viva Voce: It is the final round. If you have qualified in both the prelims and main examination, you must appear for an interview in front of a recruitment panel.

The lower judicial service conducts exams to appoint Civil Judges in various state courts. These exams are conducted by the State Public Service Commission or the High Court. In contrast, the higher judicial service conducts exams to promote Civil Judges to District Judges or for the appointment of Advocates as District Judges.

Syllabus For The Exam

These are the following subjects you need to focus on for Lower Judicial Service:

General Knowledge
Proficiency in English Language and Aptitude
Constitutional Law
Contract Law and Tort Law
Transfer of Property Law
Indian Evidence Act
Law of Torts

And, these are the following subjects you need to focus on for Higher Judicial Service:

General Knowledge
Language
Law -1 (Substantive Law)
Law- 2 (Procedure and Evidence)
Law- 3 (Penal, Revenue and Local Laws)

Eligibility To Become A Judge

Age Limit

The age limit for applying for the Lower Judicial Service Exam is 21 years. The upper age limit is 35 years. In regards to SC/ST/OBC candidates, the age limit criteria are according to government norms. The age limit for applying for the Higher Judicial Exam is 35 to 45 years. The age criteria vary from state to state.

Educational Qualification

To apply for the Lower Judicial Service Exam, candidates must have graduated with a five-year Integrated LLB Degree or a 3-year LLB degree course. Whereas, for the Higher Judicial Service Exam, the candidate must be an advocate who has been practising for at least seven years or more.

How To Become A High Court Judge

High courts are state-level courts and there are 25 High Courts in India. You must fulfil certain criteria to become a High Court Judge:

You must be a citizen of India.
You must have qualified for an LLB or LLM degree.
You must have held office at a Judicial office in India for 10 years.

How To Become A Supreme Court Judge

The Supreme Court of India is the highest court, located in New Delhi. The verdict passed by the Supreme Court is not challenged or overruled by any other court in India. You must fulfil certain criteria to become a Supreme Court Judge:

You must be a citizen of India.
You must have qualified for an LLM or LLB degree.
You must have been a Judge of the High Court for a minimum of 5 years or a High Court Advocate for a minimum period of 10 years.