High Court J&K District Judge Recruitment 2026
High Court J&K and Ladakh District Judge Recruitment 2026
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has invited fresh online applications for recruitment to the cadre of District Judges (Entry Level) through direct recruitment. The recruitment will be conducted in accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Judicial Service Rules, 2009, as amended from time to time.
A total of 16 District Judge vacancies are available under the recruitment notification dated 03 October 2026.
Vacancy Details
The total number of vacancies is 16, distributed among different categories as follows:
Open Merit (OM): 04
Scheduled Caste (SC): 02
Scheduled Tribe-I (ST-1): 01
Scheduled Tribe-II (ST-2): 02
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Actual Line of Control (ALC): 01
Other Backward Classes (OBC): 02
Residents of Backward Areas (RBA): 02
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 02
The post carries Pay Level J-5 with a pay scale of ₹1,44,840–₹1,94,660.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates applying for District Judge (Entry Level) through direct recruitment must fulfill the prescribed eligibility conditions.
Educational Qualification
The candidate must possess a Degree in Law from a recognized university established by law in India and recognized by the Bar Council of India.
Professional Experience
The candidate must either:
Be a practicing advocate in Civil and Criminal Courts with at least seven years of actual continuous practice, or
Be an in-service candidate having a combined continuous experience of seven years or more as an Advocate and Judicial Officer as on the last date of submission of applications.
For this purpose, the notification states that the term Advocate includes practicing advocates, pleaders/government pleaders and public prosecutors. Practicing advocates are required to submit the prescribed experience certificate, while in-service candidates must submit the required experience/service certificate.
Age Limit
Applicants must be:
Minimum age: 35 years
Maximum age: 45 years
The upper age limit is relaxable by two years for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) and Other Backward Classes, as specified in the notification. The age is to be calculated as on the last date for receipt of applications.
Domicile/Residency Requirement
The candidate must be a domicile of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir as defined under the applicable domicile rules, or a resident of the Union Territory of Ladakh as defined under the relevant resident certificate provisions, and must be a citizen of India as on the last date of application.
Urdu Language Requirement
Candidates must be proficient in reading and writing Urdu.
Selection Process
The selection process will consist of a written examination followed by a viva-voce examination.
Written Examination
The written examination will consist of two papers, with each paper carrying 80 marks and having a duration of two hours. The detailed syllabus has been prescribed by the High Court and is attached to the notification.
Candidates securing 50% or more marks in the written examination will be eligible to be called for the viva-voce in the order of merit, at a ratio of three candidates for one available vacancy.
For candidates belonging to SC/ST and PwBD categories, the qualifying threshold for being called for viva-voce is 45% marks in the written examination.
Viva-Voce
The viva-voce examination will carry 40 marks.
Candidates are required to secure at least 50% marks in the viva-voce. For SC/ST and PwBD candidates, the minimum qualifying requirement is 45%.
After qualifying in both the written examination and viva-voce, the final selection will be based on the cumulative marks obtained in the written examination and viva-voce.
Application Fee
After successfully submitting the online application form, candidates are required to pay an application fee of ₹1,200 through online mode.
Documents Required
Candidates are required to upload the prescribed documents while submitting the online application form. These include:
Date of Birth Certificate/Secondary School or Matriculation Certificate
Domicile Certificate/Residence Certificate
Bachelor’s Degree in Law
Experience Certificate issued by the concerned Principal District and Sessions Judge/Registrar Judicial
Experience/Service Certificate for in-service Judicial Officers
Reserved Category Certificate, wherever applicable
The notification further states that furnishing incorrect or false information may result in rejection of candidature at any stage.
Important Dates
The online application process will be conducted through the High Court’s recruitment portal.
Notification Date: 03 October 2026
Online Application Link Activation: 05 October 2026
Last Date to Apply: 04 November 2026
Application Mode: Online
Application Fee: ₹1,200
The notification specifies that applications will be accepted only through the prescribed online mode. Applications, documents or fee payments submitted after the cut-off date will not be entertained.
Eligible candidates will have to appear for the written test and interview/viva-voce on dates to be notified separately. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official High Court website for examination and interview schedules, as separate call letters will not be issued through print or electronic media for these dates.
District Judge Recruitment 2026 Examination Syllabus
The written examination consists of two papers of 80 marks each, with each paper having a duration of two hours. Each paper is divided into three parts, and candidates are required to attempt nine questions in each paper, with three questions from each part.
Paper-I
Paper-I includes subjects/topics such as:
Essay and precise writing
Constitution of India
Legal Maxims
Translation from Urdu to English or Hindi to English
Judgment writing on the Civil Original and Civil Appellate side
Partnership, Contract and Arbitration laws
Transfer of Property Act, 1882
Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976
Jammu and Kashmir State Evacuees (Administration of Property) Act, 2006
Jammu and Kashmir Alienation of Land Act, 1995
Specific Relief Act, 1963
Compensation laws under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
Laws relating to marriage, divorce and succession
The syllabus also covers the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, interpretation of statutes, acquisition and requisition of immovable property, guardianship, succession certificates, probate, letters of administration and eviction of unauthorized occupants from public premises.
Paper-II
Paper-II covers criminal law and other relevant legal subjects, including:
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 / Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Indian Penal Code, 1860 / Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
Judgment writing on Criminal Original and Criminal Appellate side
Indian Evidence Act, 1872 / Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
Penal laws relating to arms, enemies and terrorist-related activities
Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations
General Financial Rules
Medical Jurisprudence
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
The notification clarifies that references to laws in the syllabus are to be understood as referring to the laws enforced in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Important Instructions for Candidates
Candidates should carefully read the eligibility conditions and applicable recruitment rules before applying. Incomplete applications, applications submitted after the prescribed deadline, or applications submitted through any mode other than the specified online mode will not be entertained.
Candidates should also retain a printout of their submitted application form, fee payment receipt and copies of the required documents for future use. No TA/DA will be paid for appearing in the test or interview.
Candidates who had already applied under the earlier notifications mentioned in the notice and were eligible under the rules applicable at that time, with their candidature not rejected, do not need to apply again.
How to Apply ?
Eligible candidates will be able to submit their applications online through the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh recruitment portal. The application link is scheduled to be activated on 05 October 2026, and the last date for completing the application along with the prescribed fee is 04 November 2026.
Candidates should ensure that all details entered in the application form are correct and that the required certificates and documents are uploaded in the prescribed manner.
Official Website: High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
Recruitment Portal: exams.jklhc.in
Important Links
Official Notification : Click here
Official Website : Click here
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