New Delhi — A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India, headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, on Tuesday heard arguments on whether judicial officers with prior bar experience can be appointed under the bar quota for District Judges.
The matter stems from the case of Rejanish K.V., whose appointment under the bar quota was struck down by the Kerala High Court, which relied on the precedent set in Dheeraj Mor v. High Court of Delhi (2020). That ruling held that only practicing advocates—not serving judicial officers—are eligible for appointment through the advocate channel.
Senior lawyers including Jayant Bhushan, Arvind Datar, V. Giri, Vibha Makhija and P.S. Patwalia advanced arguments in favour of including judicial officers, contending that Article 233(2) of the Indian Constitution allows broader interpretation and recognises multiple entry points into the district judiciary.
The Bench, while open to exploring a workable solution, questioned whether judicial experience can be merged with advocacy practice to satisfy the constitutional requirement of seven years’ practice. The hearing will resume tomorrow.
