Supreme Court Observes One Year of Judgeship Equals Five Years as Advocate in Terms of Workload

The Supreme Court, while examining whether judicial officers with seven years of practice as lawyers qualify for appointment as district judges under the Bar quota, observed that one year of judgeship equals five years of legal practice in workload.

A five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI BR Gavai is interpreting Article 233 of the Constitution on district judge appointments. Senior Advocate Jayant Bhushan argued that excluding such officers would defeat the constitutional scheme and cause stagnation.

The Court also flagged that many capable judicial officers quit within two years due to poor promotion prospects.

(Rejanish KV v. K Deepa & Ors)