If you had interested in the legal field, you could pursue a career as a judge. You are becoming a judge in India after the 12th involves extensive education and experience to develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities required for the job.
Knowing what it takes to become a judge can help you decide your career path. This article will discuss the duties of a judge and how to become a judge in India.
Contents
Become a judge in India.
The first step to becoming a judge is pursuing a Bachelor in Law, LLB degree. Now it can be a five-year degree course or a three-year degree course.
After a lawyer completes their LLB, it is optional to complete a master’s in Law or LLM. India has three Chief Justices – Supreme Court, High Court, and District Judge.
The last category consists of sub-categories of judges such as District Judge, Civil Court Judge, Additional District Judge, Joint District Judge etc.
Becoming a judge in India is long and requires considerable effort, but it can lead to a rewarding career. The post of a judge is at the pinnacle of the legal hierarchy, ranking among the most prestigious professions.
The position of a judge carries significant responsibility and is highly taxing. If you are wondering how to become a judge, this article will discuss the critical steps involved.
Benefits of Becoming a Judge in India
Being a judge is a very noble and prestigious job, and there are many benefits to doing this job. If the candidate has a love and passion for law and Judiciary, this is the perfect job for aspirants. Here are some favourable aspects of being a judge.
High Salary:
Being a judge is a prevalent job. Still, on the other hand, many aspirants were also attracted by the profession’s salary.
Salaries for judges are handsome across the board. A judge’s salary is higher than others in the legal profession.
Job security:
As long as the Judge’s license has not to revoke, the Judge’s profession is secure compared to other legal works. Aspirants don’t need to change jobs once a judge is always a judge.
Continuous learning:
This profession allows you to learn every day. Each new case becomes a new field of study. New laws had passed that a judge had to track. A judge must be up-to-date on new legislation.
Judicial Service Examination
These are the following exams to become a judge in India. Through this examination, fresh graduates from law school can become Subordinate Court Judges. After clearing this Exam, Judicial Services Exams are of two types –
- Lower Judicial Services (LJS)
- Higher Judicial Services (HJS)
Both these exams follow the same three stages of recruitment which –
1. Preliminary Exam
MCQ format questions had asked the objective candidates. The minimum pass marks are 60% for general and 55% for reserved categories.
2. Mains Examination
A candidate gives written test(s) with subjective type questions and answers. Candidates securing 40% in each personal paper and 50% in aggregate will call for the next round.
3. Viva Voice
Eligible candidates will attend an interview with the recruitment panel.
Lower Judicial Services (LJS)
LJS examinations Conduct to appoint civil judges in various state courts to become a judge in India. These examinations had conducted by the State Public Service Commission or High Court.
Eligibility: Candidates must have graduated with a 5-year integrated or 3-year LLB degree course.
Age Limit: Candidates appearing for Lower Judicial Services Examination must be at least 21. The upper age limit had usually set at 35 years.
Higher Judicial Services (HJS)
They had generally conducted HJS examinations to promote Civil Judges as District Judges or appoint advocates as District Judges. Advocates are advocates registered with the State Bar Council after passing the All India Bar Examination.
Eligibility: Candidates must be advocates and practice in court for at least seven years. Standards, again, differ from state to state.
Age Limit: General limit is 35 to 45 years of age. The minimum age and maximum age limit vary from state to state.
How to become a Judge in India after the 12th?
After successfully clearing the 12th, the steps can take to become a judge after the 12th are given below for your reference,
UG Level Preparation:
Students who want to become judges after 12th can pursue various undergraduate law courses like BA LLB, BCom LLB, BSc LLB, and BBA LLB.
Several entrance tests had conducted to enrol students for the above-mentioned undergraduate law courses.
PG Level Preparation:
Students can also pursue postgraduate law courses like LLM from some of the top law colleges across the country. For postgraduate law courses, students must appear for various law entrance exams.
Law Courses
Candidates who want to become a judge in India can pursue the following courses in the field of law:
LLB:
The LLB course is an undergraduate law degree required for anyone who wants to enter the Judiciary and legal field.
- LLB Full-Form: Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts
- LLB Duration: 5 years
- LLB Examination Type: Semester Based
- LLB Course Fee: INR 1,50,000-7,00,000
- LLB Average Salary: INR 3,00,000 – 6,00,000 LPA
- LLB Admission Process: Entrance Exams and Merit-Based
- LLB Eligibility: Minimum 45 per cent in Class XII from a recognized board
LLM:
LLM is a postgraduate law degree. An undergraduate educational law degree, a professional law grade or an undergraduate degree in a related subject followed.
- LLM Full-Form: Masters of Legislative Laws
- LLM Duration: 1-2 years (Full Time)
- LLM Admission Process: Through Entrance Exams, followed by counselling or Personal Interview Round
- LLM Entrance Exams: CLAT, AILET, LSAT, ILICAT, IPU CET, BHU PET, TS PGCLET, etc.
- LLM Fees: INR 1,80,000 – 5,60,000
- LLM Salary: INR 8,00,000-15,00,000
- LLM Eligibility: LLB degree of 3 years or BA LLB/BSc LLB/BCA LLB degree of 5 years with a minimum of 50-60% aggregate scores
The Judge in India’s Salary
Judge Salary in India ranges from INR 45,000 – INR 5,00,000. The salary of a judge increases as the position, rank and experience increase. The salary of a judge is the highest of any other rank in this profession.
Experience Wise
- Work Experience: Average Annual Salary (INR)
- Entry Level: 7 lakhs – 9 Lakhs
- Mid-Level: 10L – 15 L
- Senior Level: 25 L– 30 L
Hierarchy Based Salary
- Hierarchy: Average Monthly Salary (INR)
- Supreme Court: 3L – 3.5 L
- High Court: 1.5 L– 2 L
- District Court: 50,000 – 83,000
Conclusion
I hope you understand how to become a judge in India after the 12th. Students from all streams, i.e. Science, Commerce and Humanities, can take law courses after clearing 12th class boards. So you must complete your UG and PG level Courses to become a judge in India after the 12th.
FAQs
You must be a citizen of India. You must have qualified for an LLB or LLM degree.
To be eligible for the position of a judge, you must hold a law degree, either LLB or LLM, from a government or Bar-Council-approved university.
The average Judge’s salary in India ranges from INR 2.5 lac per month to INR 2.8 lac per month, depending on the court.