GOVERNMENT OF KERALA

NOTIFICATION

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 11^th July, 1961 and published in Part I of the Kerala Gazette

Home (C) Department .

Dated, Thiruvananthapuram, 13

^th August, 2026

G. O. (P) No.90/2026/ Home.

28

^th Karkadakam,1201

22^nd Sravana, 1948.

©

േകരള സർകാർ

Government of Kerala

2026

േകരള ഗസറ്

KERALA GAZETTE

അസാധാരണം

EXTRAORDINARY

ആധികാരികമായി ്പസിദെപടുതുനത

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

Regn.No. KERBIL/2012/45073

dated 05-09-2012 with RNI

Reg No.KL/TV(N)/634/2021-2023

വാല്ം 15

Vol. XV

തിരുവനനപുരം,

ബുധന

Thiruvananthapuram,

Wednesday

2026 ആഗസ് 19

19th August 2026

1202 ചിങം 3

3rd Chingam 1202

1948 ്ശാവണം 28

28th Sravana 1948

നമർ

No.

2324

S. R. O. No. 710/2026

This is a digitally signed Gazette.

Authenticity may be verified through https://compose.kerala.gov.in/

No. 29, dated 18^th 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

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This is a digitally signed Gazette.

Authenticity may be verified through https://compose.kerala.gov.in/

continuous 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 09^th

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

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This is a digitally signed Gazette.

Authenticity may be verified through https://compose.kerala.gov.in/

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PUBLISHED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF GOVERNMENT PRESSES

AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 2026