Punjab & Haryana District Sessions Judge Recruitment 2025: A Landmark Opportunity for Advocates

The High Court of Punjab & Haryana, located in Chandigarh, has announced a significant recruitment drive for 2025, inviting applications for Additional District & Sessions Judge positions. This long-awaited opportunity is for eligible advocates to join the Superior Judicial Service cadres of both Haryana and Punjab through direct recruitment, fulfilling the 25% quota for legal professionals from the Bar. This initiative is formally detailed in Advertisement Nos. 111-112/2025 and marks a crucial opening in the judicial services of these states after a considerable period.

Vacancy Details for Haryana Superior Judicial Service

For the Haryana Superior Judicial Service, a total of 25 vacancies for Additional District & Sessions Judge have been announced. These positions offer a competitive Pay Level J-5 in the Pay Matrix, with an initial salary ranging from ₹144,840 to ₹194,660. The vacancies are distributed across various categories: 9 for Unreserved (UR), 3 for Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 2 for Deprived Scheduled Caste (DSC) of Haryana, 1 for Other Scheduled Caste (OSC) of Haryana, 4 for Backward Class-A (BC-A) of Haryana, 2 for Backward Class-B (BC-B) of Haryana, 2 for Ex-servicemen (ESM) of Haryana, and 2 for Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Candidates applying for these roles must be between 35 and 45 years of age as of July 31, 2025. Furthermore, applicants are required to be enrolled as an Advocate and possess a minimum of seven years of practice in the legal field.

Vacancy Details for Punjab Superior Judicial Service

Similarly, for the Punjab Superior Judicial Service, there are 20 vacancies for the post of Additional District & Sessions Judge. The remuneration for these positions also falls under Pay Level J-5 in the Pay Matrix, with a salary scale of ₹144,840 to ₹194,660/-. The breakdown of vacancies includes 7 for Unreserved (UR), 3 for Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 2 for Scheduled Caste (SC) of Punjab, 4 for Other Scheduled Caste (OSC) of Punjab, 3 for Backward Class of Punjab, and 1 for Persons with Disabilities (PWD). As with the Haryana cadre, eligible candidates must be between 35 and 45 years of age as of July 31, 2025, and must have been enrolled as an Advocate with at least seven years of practice.

Selection Process and Application Fee

The selection methodology for both cadres will be a comprehensive process administered by the High Court of Chandigarh. It comprises a written test carrying 750 marks and a subsequent viva voce (interview) worth 250 marks.

A non-refundable application fee is required from all candidates. For General, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), MBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and candidates from other states, the fee is ₹1000/-. A reduced fee of ₹500/- applies to candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD/Ex-servicemen/Backward Class categories from Punjab, Haryana, and U.T. Chandigarh, as well as all women candidates. The application fee must be paid online exclusively through the Chandigarh High Court’s recruitment website.

How to Apply and Important Dates

Interested and eligible advocates are encouraged to apply online through the prescribed format on the official website. The application window for this recruitment drive is from June 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025.

For complete details regarding eligibility criteria, detailed vacancy distribution, syllabus for the competitive examination, and to submit the online application, candidates are advised to visit the ‘Recruitment’ tab on the official High Court of Punjab and Haryana website: https://highcourtchd.gov.in/?mod=recr_judicial.