Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination 2026
The High Court of Delhi has issued the notification for the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination 2026 for direct recruitment to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service. The examination will be conducted in three stages: Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and Viva-Voce. Candidates should visit the official website for admit card updates and examination-related instructions.
Post Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | High Court of Delhi |
| Post Name | Delhi Higher Judicial Service / Judicial Officer |
| Total Vacancies | 27 posts, including 24 existing and 03 anticipated vacancies |
| Qualification | Indian citizenship and at least seven years of qualifying experience as an Advocate, Judicial Officer or combined Advocate and Judicial Officer, as applicable |
| Category | Admit Card / Examination Update |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online Application Start Date | 01/07/2026 at 10:00 AM |
| Last Date to Apply and Pay Fee | 15/07/2026 at 05:30 PM |
| Preliminary Examination Date | 26/07/2026, Sunday |
| Preliminary Examination Timing | 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| Notification Date | 01/07/2026 |
Admit Card Details
Candidates admitted to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination will be required to download their admit card through the official website of the High Court of Delhi. The notification states that admission to the Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and Viva-Voce will remain provisional and subject to verification of eligibility conditions.
Candidates should carefully check the admit card for the examination centre, reporting instructions, date and timing. They should also follow all instructions issued by the High Court of Delhi before appearing in the examination.
The Preliminary Examination is an objective-type examination and carries 25% negative marking for incorrect answers. Candidates qualifying in the Preliminary Examination may be called for the Mains Examination, followed by Viva-Voce as applicable.
Vacancy Details
| Category | Existing Vacancies | Anticipated Vacancies | Total Vacancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 14 | 03 | 17 |
| Scheduled Caste | 05 | — | 05 |
| Scheduled Tribe | 05 | — | 05 |
| Total | 24 | 03 | 27 |
Out of the reserved vacancies, 03 of the 05 Scheduled Caste vacancies and 04 of the 05 Scheduled Tribe vacancies are backlog vacancies. The number of vacancies may change, including due to implementation of the judgment dated 11/03/2026 in Dheeraj Mor v. High Court of Delhi.
PwD Reservation
A total of 03 vacancies are reserved for candidates with benchmark disabilities of 40% or more:
| PwD Category | Reserved Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Blindness and Low Vision | 01 |
| One arm, one leg, both legs, leprosy cured, dwarfism and acid attack victim | 01 |
| Specific Learning Disability and Multiple Disabilities | 01 |
| Total | 03 |
Reservation for 02 out of the 03 PwD vacancies will be carried forward backlog reservation. The disabilities identified as suitable for the post include blindness and low vision; one arm, one leg, both legs, leprosy cured, dwarfism and acid attack victim; specific learning disability; and multiple disabilities involving these categories.
Eligibility and Qualification
Candidates must satisfy the following conditions:
- The candidate must be a citizen of India.
- An Advocate must have been continuously practising for at least seven years as on 15/07/2026.
- A Judicial Officer must either have completed seven years of practice at the Bar before recruitment to the subordinate judicial service or must possess seven years of combined experience as a Judicial Officer and an Advocate as on 15/07/2026.
- A person who has been or is in judicial service must have a combined experience of seven years or more as an Advocate or Judicial Officer as on 15/07/2026.
- The candidate must have attained 35 years of age and must not have attained 45 years of age on 15/07/2026.
Selection Process
The selection process consists of the following stages:
- Delhi Higher Judicial Service Preliminary Examination, objective type, with 25% negative marking.
- Delhi Higher Judicial Service Mains Examination, written.
- Viva-Voce.
The Preliminary Examination is conducted for shortlisting candidates for the Mains Examination. Candidates qualifying in the Mains Examination may be called for Viva-Voce.
Salary / Pay Scale
Selected members of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service will receive pay in J-5 scale: ₹1,44,840–₹1,94,660.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General | ₹2,000 |
| Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / PwD with identified disability of 40% or more | ₹500 |
The fee is non-refundable and can be paid through Debit Card, Credit Card, Internet Banking or UPI. Candidates may take a printout of the submitted application for future reference; the printout should not be sent to the High Court of Delhi.
Important Instructions
- Candidates must ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions before appearing in the examination.
- Admission at every stage is provisional and subject to verification of eligibility.
- If a candidate is found ineligible at any stage, the candidature may be cancelled without further notice.
- Candidates should read the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1970, as amended up to date, along with the examination instructions available through the official website.