The Tamil Nadu Judicial Service Exam is conducted every year by the Madras High Court for recruitment to the posts of Civil Judge Junior Division or equivalent. This exam may be colloquially referred to as the TNPSC Civil Judge Exam.
OVERALL SCHEME OF THE TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE – TNPSC CIVIL JUDGE EXAM
The Civil Judge selection will be made in three successive stages :
(i) Preliminary Examination – Objective MCQ type – for selection of applicants for admission to the Main Examination,
(ii) Main Examination – Subjective / Narrative / Essay type
(iii) Viva–Voce Test.
The candidates for admission to Main Examination will be shortlisted as decided by the Commission at a ratio not exceeding 10 times of the number of vacancies following the applicable rules of reservation.
Candidates for Viva Voce Test will be shortlisted in the ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 with reference to the number of vacancies as specified in “Instructions to Applicants” under the heading “Procedure of Selection”.
At the Viva-voce, the candidate’s “General Knowledge” and the knowledge of Law, grasp of Procedural Laws and Principles of Law and suitability for appointment to the post will be tested.
TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE CIVIL JUDGE PRELIMINARY EXAM
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
- Duration : 2 Hours
- Maximum Marks : 100
- Minimum Passing Marks :SCs, SC(A)s and STs : 30 marks
MBCs/DCs, BC(OBCM)s and BCMs : 35 marks
Others : 40 marks
(i) No candidate who has secured less than the minimum marks specified for the Preliminary Examination shall be eligible for Main Examination.
(ii) The preliminary examination will consist of one paper of objective type based on the syllabus given below containing 100 multiple choice questions (both in Tamil and English), each carrying one mark. Maximum marks will be 100
Negative marking : ‘1/2’ (half) mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
The duration of the Preliminary examination will be two hours. The preliminary examination is conducted for the purpose of short listing the candidates and the marks obtained in the preliminary examination shall not be counted for determining the final order of merit of the candidates.
SYLLABUS TNPSC CIVIL JUDGE PRELIMINARY EXAM
PART-A
- The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
- The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1981
- The Transfer of Property Act, 1882
- The Indian Contract Act, 1872
- The Specific Relief Act,1963
- The Constitution of India
- The Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 Tamil Nadu Regulation of
- Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 (Tamil Nadu Act 42 of 2017)
PART-B
- The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
- The Indian Penal Code,1860
- The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
- The following Criminal Law Amendment Acts/Ordinances and Minor Acts:-
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1932
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1938
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1946
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1952
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1961
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Amending Act, 1966
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1972
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983
- The Criminal Law (Second Amendment) Act, 1983
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1993
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2005
- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013
- The Criminal Minor Acts (including Information Technology Act, 2000; The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012).
PART-C
- General Knowledge – Test of Reasoning and Mental ability.
TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE CIVIL JUDGE MAIN EXAM – DESCRIPTIVE TYPE
1. Translation Paper – 3 hours – 100 Marks
2. Law Paper-I – 3 hours – 100 Marks
3. Law Paper-II – 3 hours – 100 Marks
4. Law Paper-III – 3 hours – 100 Marks
Minimum Passing Marks in each paper :
SCs, SC(A)s and STs : 30 marks
MBCs/DCs, BC(OBCM)s and BCMs : 35 marks
Others : 40 marks
SYLLABUS FOR THE TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE CIVIL JUDGE MAIN WRITTEN EXAMINATION
(i) Translation Paper:
Translation of passages from English to Tamil and from Tamil to English. The passages will be from Pleadings, Depositions, Orders, Judgments and Documents.
(ii) Law Paper – I:
– The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908;
– The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973;
– The Indian Evidence Act, 1872;
– Principles of pleading
– The Constitution of India.
(iii) Law Paper – II:
Framing of Issues and Writing of Judgments in Civil Cases.
(iv) Law Paper –III:
Framing of charges and Writing of Judgments in Criminal Cases.
VIVA VOCE TEST – TAMIL NADU STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE CIVIL JUDGE EXAM
Maximum Marks – 60
Minimum marks to pass : 18 (for all categories of candidates)
1. The object of viva-voce test is to assess the suitability of the candidate for the cadre by judging the mental alertness, general knowledge, knowledge of law, grasp of procedural laws and principles of law, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, skills, attitude, ethics, power of assimilation, power of communication, character, suitability and intellectual depth, the like of the candidate, his/her tact and ability to handle various situations in the Court.
2. Candidates of all categories who have obtained a minimum of 18 marks in the viva-voce test alone are eligible for inclusion in the Select List.
3. The marks secured by a candidate in the Viva Voce Test shall be added to the total marks secured by him/her in the Main examination
Eligibility and Age Limit – TNPSC CIVIL JUDGE EXAM
A CANDIDATE FOR DIRECT RECRUITMENT TO THE SERVICE:
a) must be a citizen of India;
b) must hold a degree of Bachelor of Law of any University established by Law in India and recognized as such under the Advocates Act, 1961;
c) must have proficiency in Tamil to read, write and speak.
(A) AGE LIMITS (as on the date mentioned in the official advertisement for the exam)
1 For Practicing Advocates/ Pleaders and Assistant Public Prosecutors :
- For SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BCs, BCMs and Destitute Widows of all castes : Minimum 25 years and maximum 40 years.
- Others (General Category) : Minimum 25 years and maximum 35 years.
2 For Fresh Law Graduates(For all Categories) : Minimum 22 years and maximum 27 years.
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS – TNPSC CIVIL JUDGE EXAM
The Applicants should possess the following qualification (as on the date mentioned in the official advertisement for the exam) :
I. For Practicing Advocates/ Pleaders and Assistant Public Prosecutors:
(i) Must possess a Degree in Law of a University in India established or incorporated by or under a Central Act or a State Act or an Institution recognized by the University Grants Commission, or any other equivalent qualification and enrolled in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu or in the Bar Council of any other State in India
and
(ii) (a) Must be practicing as an Advocate or Pleader in any Court on the date of Notification for recruitment to the post and must have so practiced for a period of not less than 3 years on such date.(or)(b) Must be an Assistant Public Prosecutor having not less than 3 years of experience as an Advocate and / or Assistant Public Prosecutor.
II. For Fresh Law Graduates
(i) Must be a fresh Law Graduate possessing a degree in Law from a recognized University as mentioned in Clause-I (i) above,
(ii) Must be eligible to be enrolled as an advocate.
(iii) Must have secured an overall percentage of marks in acquiring the Bachelor’s Degree of Law as below:-
(a) 45% Marks in case of Reserved Categories (i.e SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BCs(OBCMs) and BCMs).
(b) 50% Marks in case of Open Category (i.e Others).
(iv) Must have obtained the Bachelor’s Degree of Law within a period of three years prior to the date of notification.
Applicants who have enrolled as Advocates, but do not possess three years of practice at the Bar would be eligible to appear in the recruitment for the post of Civil Judge, under the category of Fresh Law Graduates, provided they satisfy the other requisite eligibility criteria.
Candidates, who have passed the Degree in Law from the academic year 2009- 2010 and thereafter, must have also passed the All India Bar Examination, conducted by the Bar Council of India, in order to be considered as eligible for being termed as a Practicing Advocate. However, the said condition is not applicable to the candidates applying under the category of ‘Fresh Law Graduates’.
