Breaking News: High Court of Karnataka Announces Recruitment Notification for Civil Judge Positions

INTRODUCTION

The High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru has announced an exciting opportunity for aspiring legal professionals through direct recruitment to the posts of Civil Judges. Notification No. HCRB/CJR-1/2024, dated 10th February, 2025, invites online applications for 158 posts of Civil Judges, including 24 backlog posts. This notification is subject to the final decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No. 1867/2006. The last date for submission of online applications is 12th March, 2025.

IMPORTANT DATES

Event	Date
Release of Karnataka High Court Civil Judge Recruitment 2025	10th February 2025
Last Date for Application Submission	12th March 2025
Preliminary Examination Fee Payment Deadline	12th March 2025
Main Written Examination Fee Payment Deadline	To be notified
Preliminary Exam Date	To be notified
Main Exam Date	To be notified
Viva-voce (Interview) Date	To be notified

MODE OF APPLYING ONLINE APPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF FEE

Candidates must ensure they fulfil the eligibility criteria and other norms. All particulars furnished in the online application must be correct in all respects. Read all the instructions carefully before submitting the online application. Apply by visiting the official website https://karnatakajudiciary.kar.nic.in/recruitmentNotification.php . Applications submitted by any other mode will not be considered.

VACANCIES AND RESERVATION:

Category	Un-reserved	Women Candidates	Rural Candidates	Kannada Medium	Ex-servicemen	Persons with Benchmark Disability	Transgender	Total
General Merit	12	20	15	3	5	3	1	59
Scheduled Caste	4	8	6	1	2	1	1	23
Scheduled Tribe	2	3	3	-	1	1	-	10
Category – I	1	2+6*	2+2*	2*	2*	1+1*	-	6+13*
Category – II(A)	3	7	5+2*	1+1*	2	1	1	20+3*
Category – II(B)	1	2+1*	1+4*	-	-	1	-	5+5*
Category – III(A)	1	2+1*	1+1*	1*	-	1	-	5+3*
Category – III(B)	1	2	2	-	-	1	-	6
Total	25	46+8*	35+9*	5+4*	10+2*	10+1*	3	134+24*

ELIGIBILITY FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION, MAIN WRITTEN EXAMINATION AND VIVA-VOCE

• Preliminary Examination: Minimum marks for pass is 50 for SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability and 60 for other categories.

• Main Written Examination: Minimum marks for pass in each paper is 40 for SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability and 50 for other categories.

• Viva-voce: Minimum marks for pass is 40 for SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability and 50 for other categories.

• Candidates securing less than the minimum marks in any paper of the Main Written Examination or in the Viva-voce will not be eligible for appointment. SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates must secure 60 marks in the Preliminary Examination, 50 marks in each paper of the Main Written Examination, and 50 marks in the Viva-voce to be considered for selection under the General Category.

  PROBATION AND TRAINING

A candidate who is selected and appointed will be initially on probation for two years or for an extended period if necessary. The candidate must undergo training as specified by the High Court and pass the Kannada Language Examination conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission, if not already passed

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION AND AGE LIMIT

A. Direct Recruitment:

1.       Must hold a Degree in Law granted by a university established by Law in India and must have enrolled as an Advocate.

2.      Age Limits as of the last date fixed for receipt of applications:

• Forty years for candidates belonging to any of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Category-I of Other Backward Classes.

• Thirty-eight years for candidates belonging to Category II(A), II(B), III(A), or III(B) of Other Backward Classes.

• Thirty-five years for any other candidate.

• The maximum age limit is relaxed by three years for ex-serviceman candidates.

B. In-service Candidates:

1. Must hold a Degree in Law granted by a university established by Law in India.

2. Age Limits as of the last date fixed for receipt of applications:

3. Forty-three years for candidates belonging to any of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.

4. Forty years for other candidates.

5. Must be working in the High Court of Karnataka, District Judiciary under the jurisdiction of High Court of Karnataka, or as an Assistant Public Prosecutor/Assistant Government Pleader in the Department of Prosecutions and Government Litigation.

C. Candidates with Benchmark Disabilities:

Four percent (4%) of the vacancies are reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

SCALE OF PAY

The pay scale for the Civil Judge position is Rs. 77,840 – 1,36,520.

METHOD OF RECRUITMENT

The recruitment will be conducted based on the aggregate marks obtained in the Competitive Examination (Main Written Examination and Viva-voce) conducted by the High Court.

EXAMINATION STAGES

The Competitive Examination consists of three stages:

1. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION:

Objective Type Question Paper consisting of 100 marks.

Syllabus:

Part-A: Code of Civil Procedure, 1908;

1.       Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881;

2.        Transfer of Property Act, 1882;

3.       Indian Contract Act, 1872;

4.       Specific Relief Act, 1963;

5.        Indian Constitution

6.       Karnataka Rent Act, 1999.

Part-B: Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973;

1.       Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

2.       Indian Penal Code, 1860

3.       Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

4.       Indian Evidence Act, 1872

5.       Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.

Part-C: General knowledge – Test of reasoning and mental ability.

2. MAIN WRITTEN EXAMINATION:

i) Translation Paper (Maximum Marks 100): Translation of passages in English into Kannada and Kannada into English.

ii) Law Paper - I (Maximum Marks 100): Code of Civil Procedure, 1908; Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; Indian Evidence Act, 1872; Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023; Principles of Pleading; and Constitution of India.

iii) Law Paper - II (Maximum Marks 100): Framing of Issues and writing of Judgments in Civil Cases.

iv) Law Paper - III (Maximum Marks 100): Framing of charges and writing of Judgments in Criminal Cases.

3. VIVA-VOCE (MAXIMUM MARKS 100):

Candidate’s General Knowledge, grasp of Principles of Law, and suitability for appointment as Civil Judge shall be tested.

4. COMPUTER TEST (MAXIMUM MARKS 25):

Test of knowledge of computers. Marks will not be aggregated to the total marks obtained in the Written Examination and Viva-voce.

DISQUALIFICATION FOR APPOINTMENT

No person shall be eligible for appointment to the service:

(a) If they are not a citizen of India.

(b) If they have been compulsorily retired, removed, or dismissed from judicial service, government service, or any statutory or local authority. Additionally, if a candidate was selected as a judicial officer but was discharged during the probation period, they will also be ineligible.

(c) If they have been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude or have been permanently debarred or disqualified by the High Court, Union Public Service Commission, or any State Public Service Commission from appearing in examinations or selections. Removal from the roll of any Bar Council also results in disqualification.

(d) If they have been penalized or punished by the Bar Council or any disciplinary authority, and the selecting authority considers them unsuitable for a judicial position.

(e) If they attempt to influence the recruiting authority in any manner to secure their selection.

(f) If they are involved in a bigamous marriage.

IMPORTANT DATE

Notified date: 10 .02.2025

Last date for submission of online applications:12.03.2025

CONCLUSION

The High Court of Karnataka's recruitment notification for the Civil Judge positions presents a remarkable opportunity for legal professionals to advance their careers in the judiciary. With 158 available positions, including 24 backlog posts, this drive aims to bring in dedicated individuals who meet the stringent qualification and age requirements. The recruitment process involves a meticulous evaluation through a Preliminary Examination, Main Written Examination, and Viva-voce, ensuring that only the most competent candidates are selected. The inclusion of a Computer Test further evaluates the candidates' suitability for modern judicial responsibilities. For more details and updates, visit the High Court's official website. [High Court of Karnataka ]