©
Regn.No. KERBIL/2012/45073 dated 05-09-2012 with RNI Reg No.KL/TV(N)/634/2021-2023 മകരള സർകാർ Government of Kerala 2026
മകരള ഗസറ്
KERALA GAZETTE
അസാധാരണം
EXTRAORDINARY
ആധികാരികാേയി ്പസിദറ്റപടുതുനത
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
തിരുവനനപുരം,
2026 ആഗസ് 19 19th August 2026
ബുധന
നർേ
No. 2324 വാലം 15 Vol. XV
1202 ചിങം 3 3rd Chingam 1202 Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday
1948 ്ശാവണം 28
28th Sravana 1948
GOVERNMENT OF KERALA
Home (C) Department .
NOTIFICATION
G. O. (P) No.90/2026/ Home.
Dated, Thiruvananthapuram, 13 th August, 2026
S. R. O. No. 710/2026
28 th Karkadakam,1201
22nd Sravana, 1948.
In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 233 of the Constitution of India the Governor of Kerala, in consultation with the High Court of Kerala, hereby make the following Rules to further amend the Special Rules for the Kerala State Higher Judicial Services issued under G.O.(P)No.373/61/Home dated 11th July, 1961 and published in Part I of the Kerala Gazette
2No. 29, dated 18th July, 1961, namely:-
RULES
1. Short title and commencement .- (1) These rules may be called the Kerala State Higher Judicial Service (Amendment) Special Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force at once.
2. Amendment of the Rules.- In the Special Rules for the Kerala State Higher Judicial Services 1961,-
(1) in rule 2, in sub-rule (1), in item (c),-
(a) for the first sentence the following sentence shall be substituted, namely:-
"Twenty-five per cent of the posts in the service shall be filled up by direct recruitment from the members of the Bar and from persons who are or have been members of the Judicial Services.";
(b) for the fourth sentence the following sentence shall be substituted, namely:-
"The notification inviting applications shall be published in one of the English National Dailies, Vernacular Dailies, Employment News and in the recruitment portal of the High Court.";
(c) in the Note, for the words "by direct appointment from the members of the Bar" the words "by direct recruitment" shall be substituted.
(2) in rule 3,-
(a) for item (b), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
"(b) he shall have attained the age of 35 years and shall not have completed 45 years of age as on the date of application:";
(b) for item (f), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
"(f) he shall be eligible for appointment only if, on the date of application, he is,- (i) a practising Advocate having a continuous uninterrupted practice of not less than seven years; or
(ii) a practising Advocate who had been a Judicial Officer, having a combined continuous experience of not less than seven years as an Advocate and as a Judicial Officer; or (iii) a Judicial Officer in service having a continuous uninterrupted service of not less than seven years; or
(iv) a Judicial Officer in service who had been an Advocate, having a combined
3continuous experience of not less than seven years as a Judicial Officer and as an Advocate.".
By order of the Governor,
MINHAJ ALAM
Additional Chief Secretary to Government.
Explanatory Note
(This does not form part of the notification, but is intended to indicate its general purport.) The Constitution Bench of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, in its Judgment dated 09th October, 2025 in Civil Appeal No:3947 of 2020 (Rejanish K.V Vs. K Deepa and others) has settled the long-standing issue regarding the eligibility of in-service Judicial Officers for appointment as District & Sessions Judges, against the 25% Direct recruitment quota as envisaged in the Special rules for the Kerala State Higher Judicial Services 1961 and has held that Judicial Officers are also eligible for being considered and appointed for the post of District & Sessions Judge under the said 25% quota, which was earlier exclusively available to Advocates having not less than seven years of practice at the Bar on the basis of the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its Judgment read supra the High Court of Kerala, has proposed necessary amendments to be effected in the Special Rules for the Kerala State Higher Judicial Service 1961.
Government have accepted the proposals of the High Court and decided to amend the said Special Rules suitably.
The notification is intended to achieve the above object
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PUBLISHED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF GOVERNMENT PRESSES AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 2026