The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that judicial officers with seven years’ experience as advocates prior to joining the bench are eligible for appointment as district judges under the Bar quota.

A five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and comprising Justices M M Sundresh, Aravind Kumar, S C Sharma and K Vinod Chandran, delivered two separate but concurring judgments on over 30 petitions.

The verdict states, “The experience gained by judicial officers while serving as judges is far greater than that acquired solely as an advocate. Moreover, officers undergo rigorous training of at least one year.”

The verdict, which redefined the eligibility criteria for appointment as district judges, also held that eligibility must be assessed at the time of application.

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