NLU Nagpur Trains Students to Become Judges after College, a first in India

A batch of 40 students is being trained at NLU Nagpur to become judges. The 'Adjudication and Justicing’ course, which is a five-year honors programme began in October last year and offers intensive practical training so that the students can work as entry-level judges in district courts.

Judges are appointed in the district judiciary through tests conducted either by the state governments or the high courts and the state governments have administrative control over the subordinate judiciary. Law graduates in India can apply as civil judge and judicial magistrate after pursuing graduation without any experience in legal practice.

But unlike LLB, this course at NLU Nagpur is designed in such a way that it equips students with the skills needed to become judges. Students will learn about court administration, how to draft orders and judgments over a period of 10 semesters. Also, a student who is not able to become a judge will have the option to get into legal practice, just how it is for other law graduates. Papers such as theories of justice, a constitutional vision of justicing, criminology, victimology, and theories of sentencing are a part of the course.

The course also has regular internship programmes with various agencies related to the judiciary - legal aid services, police agencies, human rights organisations. judicial clerkship and 6 months apprenticeship under the guidance of district judges and high court justices.

Former Bombay HC Judge, Justice RC Chauhan, who is also a member of the university's executive council said the course has been created to attract the best talent, with an objective to improve the justice delivery system in trial courts. Those who graduate from this course will have the skills, qualities and abilities required by a judge. NLU Nagpur's VC Vijender Kumar said that this course is one-of-its-kind globally. There are master's degree courses in judiciary in some countries but this is the first UG course. 

The course follows a unique pattern whether it's in terms of the admission process or the course structure and this is what makes it different from the other law courses.

Eligibility Criteria for Adjudication and Justicing Course

Students who clear CLAT are eligible to join this course.

Adjudication and Justicing Course Selection Process

The selection process for this course includes 3 steps

• Psychometric test
• Group Discussion
• Personal Interview

The selection process focused on evaluating students' specific qualities such as articulation and expression, decision-making ability, a sense of justice, ability to overcome bias as these things are important for being a judge. Admission to the 1st batch of the course was done under Bombay HC's guidance and a committee of HC judges. Over 50% of the students who joined the course are girls.

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