State Judiciary

1.Constitutional Provisions

• State Judiciary and the Meaning of Subordinate CourtsImportance 3/5
  What are the two parts of the state judiciary? Understand why the lower courts are called "subordinate", and at what levels they work.
• Articles 233 to 237Importance 4/5
  Remember in which Part of the Constitution these Articles sit. Understand what these provisions aim to protect. Also remember the subject of each Article, including Article 233A.
• Appointment of District Judges (Article 233)Importance 5/5UPSC 2004
  Who appoints, posts and promotes district judges, and whom must that authority consult? Remember the seven-year practice condition and the kind of person it applies to. Can a serving judicial officer now be appointed directly as a district judge? Understand how the Supreme Court settled this in 2025 (Rejanish K.V., overruling Dheeraj Mor).
• Validation of Certain District Judges' Appointments (Article 233A)Importance 3/5
  Which Constitutional Amendment Act added Article 233A, and in which year? Understand what it validated and why the validation is called retrospective.
• Appointment of Other Judges to the Judicial Service (Article 234)Importance 4/5
  Who appoints persons to the judicial service below the district judge, under what rules, and which bodies are consulted? Understand how this differs from the consultation for district judges under Article 233. Also know how recruitment works in practice (it varies by state).
• High Court's Control Over Subordinate Courts (Article 235)Importance 5/5
  Know what the high court controls in the subordinate courts, including posting, promotion and leave. Be clear about which posts this covers and which it does not. Understand how this control supports the independence of the judiciary.
• Meaning of "District Judge" and "Judicial Service" (Article 236)Importance 3/5UPSC 1996
  Be clear about which posts this Article includes in "district judge", such as the sessions judge, the chief presidency magistrate and the city civil court judge. Understand what "judicial service" means and what kind of posts it covers.
• Extending the Provisions to Magistrates (Article 237)Importance 3/5
  Who can apply the judicial service provisions to magistrates, to which magistrates, and how (by public notification)? Understand how this power links to the separation of the judiciary from the executive (Article 50).

2.Structure and Jurisdiction

• Who Lays Down the Structure of Subordinate CourtsImportance 3/5
  Who decides the structure, jurisdiction and names of subordinate courts? Is the pattern the same in every state? Note that the classes of criminal courts and their sentencing powers come from a central law, the BNSS 2023. Understand the broad three-tier pattern of civil and criminal courts below the high court.
• District Judge and Sessions JudgeImportance 5/5UPSC 2004
  Understand the position of the district judge in the district, and the kinds of jurisdiction and powers this office holds (judicial, administrative and supervisory). Are the district judge and the sessions judge two offices or one? What sentences can the sessions judge impose, and what must happen before a death sentence takes effect? Remember where appeals go.
• Subordinate Judge and Chief Judicial MagistrateImportance 4/5
  Remember the second-tier courts on the civil and criminal sides. Know the extent of the subordinate judge's money jurisdiction (it varies by state) and the limit on the chief judicial magistrate's sentencing power. Remember the other names of the subordinate judge.
• Munsiff and Judicial MagistrateImportance 3/5UPSC 2007
  Remember the lowest courts on the civil and criminal sides. What kind of civil cases does the munsiff decide, and what is the sentencing limit of the judicial magistrate of the first class? Also remember the other names of the munsiff.
• City Civil Courts and Metropolitan MagistratesImportance 2/5
  Understand where city civil courts work and how they fit into the usual pattern of courts. Note that the Metropolitan Magistrate category came from the CrPC and was dropped by the BNSS 2023. Which court has criminal jurisdiction in those cities now?
• Small Causes CourtsImportance 2/5
  Where are small causes courts found, and what cases do they decide? How are the cases handled? Are their decisions final, and does the high court have any power over them? Know what "presidency towns" means and which cities it referred to (Delhi was never one).
• Panchayat CourtsImportance 2/5
  Which cases do Panchayat Courts try? Remember the different names by which they are known, such as Nyaya Panchayat and Gram Kutchery.

1. 1.

   With reference to the subordinate courts, consider the following statements:
   1. Persons other than district judges are appointed to the state judicial service by the governor after consulting the State Public Service Commission and the high court.
   2. Control over district courts and other subordinate courts is vested in the governor.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
2. 2.

   Consider the following:
   1. Judge of a city civil court
   2. Chief presidency magistrate
   3. Sessions judge
   4. Munsiff
   How many of the above are included in the constitutional expression 'district judge'?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll four
3. 3.

   Consider the following pairs:

   Court	Jurisdiction
   1. Chief judicial magistrate	Criminal cases punishable with imprisonment up to seven years
   2. Judicial magistrate	Criminal cases punishable with imprisonment up to three years
   3. Munsiff	Unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction over civil suits

   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. CAll three
   4. DNone
4. 4.

   Consider the following statements:
   1. The decisions of small causes courts are final, but the high court has the power of revision.
   2. The structure, jurisdiction and nomenclature of the subordinate judiciary are laid down uniformly by Parliament for the whole country.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
5. 5.

   The appointment, posting and promotion of district judges in a state are made by

   1. AThe President, in consultation with the chief justice of India
   2. BThe chief justice of the high court
   3. CThe State Public Service Commission
   4. DThe governor of the state, in consultation with the high court

1. 1.

   UPSC 2004

   Consider the following statements:
   1. The highest criminal court of the district is the Court of District and Sessions Judge.
   2. District Judge are appointed by the Governor in consultation with the High Courts.
   3. A person to be eligible for appointment as a District Judge should be an advocate or a pleader of seven years' standing or more, or a member of a judicial service of the State.
   4. When the Sessions Judge awards death sentence, it must be confirmed by the High Court before it is carried out.
   Which of these statements given above are correct?

   1. A1 and 2
   2. B2, 3 and 4
   3. C1 and 3
   4. D1, 2, 3 and 4
2. 2.

   UPSC 1996

   According to the Constitution of India, the term ‘district judge’ shall not include

   1. Achief presidency magistrate
   2. Bsessions judge
   3. Ctribunal judge
   4. Dchief judge of a small cause court
3. 3.

   UPSC 2007

   Consider the following statements:
   1. The Judges (Inquiry) Bill, 2006 contemplates establishing a Judicial Council which will receive complaints against judges of the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice of India, High Court Chief Justices and Judges.
   2. Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, a woman can file a petition before a 1st Class Judicial Magistrate.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2