Want to know how to become a magistrate? Well you have landed on the right article. Have you ever wondered who a Magistrate is?
If yes, then look no more. This article focuses on giving you a leap into the life of a Magistrate and what efforts they took up to reach that stage.
Today, being a judge is one of the most respected professions. The functioning of these judges determines the effectiveness of the judiciary system today.
In today's democratic India, you cannot undermine the working of this judiciary system. Judges or magistrates administer, interpret and apply laws included in the constitution to bring justice to the system.
The job offers professionals job satisfaction and societal respect, which is crucial for most Indians. Though it is difficult to reach this position, it is not impossible. With hard work, dedication, and a zeal to learn, anyone can achieve this goal.
How to Become a Magistrate in India
Becoming a Magistrate is a three-step process.
Step 1: The first step is the qualification exam, i.e. the CLAT Exam, conducted by the Department of Law in various parts of India. It is a compulsory exam that every law aspirant must qualify to reach their goal.
This exam tests the candidate in Legal Aptitude, Communication English, logical reasoning, current affairs, mathematics and vocabulary.
Step 2: After you clear the test, you need to apply for an L.L.B. Degree to practice law in India. An L.L.B. degree is usually a 6-year course that you can do either online or offline.
Step 3: After getting your Law degree, you need to appear for the State Judicial service exam. This exam has three stages and is conducted by every Indian state government.
The first stage is the preliminary test, focusing mainly on general knowledge and current affairs.
The second stage is the main exam.
And the final stage is a one-on-one viva voce, i.e. a face to face interview to determine your knowledge and communication skills.
Who is Eligible?
- The candidate must be an Indian Citizen, or they are not eligible.
- There is a mandatory age limit of 21 to 25 years for freshers in the field.
- The age limit is 21 to 45 years for high court or ministerial staff members. The same for ministerial staff subordinates and members of ministerial staff of the government office.
- The candidate must be familiar with the state language to easily understand, read, write and translate from that language to English.
Advocates, Attorneys and Pleaders
What are the eligibility criteria:
To become a Magistrate, you need to have a law graduate degree from a reputed university. In addition to that, they must be within the eligible age group, which is 21 to 35 years old, which changes based on the level.
Non-technical requirements:
There are a few qualities that are key to becoming a judge,
The candidate must be responsible, confident, dedicated and hardworking
He should have a goal to make the world a better place.
The job requires much stamina, both mentally and physically.
The candidate must be honest and should be willing to serve society.
He should be people-oriented and have good interpersonal skills.
Necessary Qualification:
The student must qualify for ALAT, AILET or LSAT based on the type of court you want to work in the future.
They must do a 5-year U.G. course in law, i.e. BBA LLB, B Com L.L.B. and BSc L.L.B.
The 12th standard percentage should be greater than 60%
The student can have an L.L.M. degree as an alternative to an L.L.B. degree. Even then, they are eligible to practice law in India.
For Supreme Court:
According to article 124(4), "Every supreme court judge will be appointed by the president, and he/she shall consult the chief justice of India for this purpose".
There are a few mandatory qualification criteria.
The candidate must be a citizen of India (very crucial)
The candidate must have held a position of high court judge for at least 5 years before applying for the job of a supreme court judge.
The candidate must have been a lawyer for at least ten years.
The candidate must be worthy of the title in the eye of the president of the nation.
For High Court:
According to article 217(1), "A high court judge will be appointed by that nation's president. They shall consult the chief justice of India, The state governor, for this very purpose."
The eligibility criteria are as follows,
The candidate must be an Indian citizen. Foreign citizens are not eligible.
The candidate must have held the judiciary office and should have been a lawyer for at least 10 years.
For District and Subordinate courts:
According to article 233, "A district attorney or a subordinate court lawyer is chosen by the state governor after consulting with the high court".
Here are a few eligibility criteria that need to be met.
- They must be an Indian citizen (this is a rule).
- They must be a member of the judiciary service.
Requirements for fresh law graduates:
For law students who are new to being full-fledged lawyers, a few key requirements are key.
The age limit is not less than 21 years old and not older than 35 years old Must have an L.L.B. degree without which they are not qualified for the position In the final year of the L.L.B. degree, they need to score above 56% in academics
Conclusion
Becoming a Magistrate is not an easy feat. It required tremendous effort and dedication to skill up yourself and rise to that level. Not just that, but the 5-year training period to get an L.L.B.
Degree makes it a time-consuming field. But once you cross this barrier, your life will be on an entirely new level. The prerequisites and the examinations for the journey are mentioned in the article.
Now that you know how the system works for a law aspirant, it is time to put that knowledge into use. You can start preparing for the CLAT exam. Once you crack it, you can dive into the training program, post which you will be given a job opportunity that will put you on track to become an I.R.S. officer.
I hope you liked our article on how to become a magistrate, if you have any comments or suggestions do share them in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can one become a Magistrate?
It is mandatory to have an L.L.B. Degree and qualify for the initial CLAT examination. It would help if you were within the age limit for eligibility, i.e. between 21 and 35. You should have scored at least 56% in your Academics in the last year of L.L.B?
2. Is the Magistrate and Judge the same?
Not quite. A magistrate is a civil office, but unlike a magistrate, a judge is not a civil service officer, nor is he a minor judicial officer. Though people tend to interchange the usage of these terminologies, the professions are slightly different.
3. Is it easy to become a magistrate?
No. Becoming a magistrate is one of the most challenging tasks today. But it is not impossible. With hard work, dedication, and smart work, one can easily reach this level and lead their dream life.
4. Can magistrates become judges?
Yes. Magistrates can be promoted to being judges based on their experience in the field. There is another option. They can appear for a competitive exam and then apply to be a district judge.