Overview

• The Supreme Court’s May 20 ruling reinstated a three-year bar practice requirement for civil judge (junior division) candidates, counting lawful enrollment and clerkship roles toward the total.
• Advocates Chandra Sen Yadav and Kunal Yadav contend that immediately enforcing the rule infringes Articles 14 and 16 by arbitrarily barring 2023–2025 law graduates.
• Petitioners note that the court’s decision drew on affidavits from select high courts and state governments, excluding contrary views from Nagaland, Tripura, Chhattisgarh and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• The review pleas request that the mandate take effect in 2027 to prevent retrospective hardship for those who prepared under the previous eligibility criteria.
• Critics also argue that the requirement disregards relevant legal experience in non-litigation roles and runs counter to the Shetty Commission’s recommendation for institutional training.