J&K High Court District Judge Recruitment 2026: 16 Posts, Fresh Notice Dated 3 October
High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has invited applications for District Judge (Entry Level), direct recruitment, 16 vacancies, Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The last date to apply is 4 November 2026. Age is counted as on 4 November 2026. Details below are from the official notice: High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh notification dated 03.10.2026, PDF noti_2510_03102026 on jkhighcourt.nic.in. Apply on exams.jklhc.in till 04.11.2026.
- Organization
- High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
- Post Name
- District Judge (Entry Level), direct recruitment
- Total Vacancy
- 16
- Application Mode
- Online, on exams.jklhc.in
- Job Location
- Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh
- Official Website
- jkhighcourt.nic.in
More from jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement | Fresh notification dated 3 October 2026, in supersession of No. 1841 of 2024/RG/GS dated 8 August 2024 |
| Online application opens | 5 October 2026, on exams.jklhc.in |
| Application end | 4 November 2026 |
Overview
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has issued a fresh direct-recruitment notice for 16 posts of District Judge (Entry Level) in pay level J-5, Rs 1,44,840 to 1,94,660. The PDF is dated 3 October 2026. It supersedes advertisement 1841 of 2024/RG/GS dated 8 August 2024 (and the corrigendum of 12 August 2024).
Apply on exams.jklhc.in. The High Court activated that link on 5 October 2026 from jkhighcourt.nic.in. The form and the Rs 1,200 fee close on 4 November 2026. The notice is noti_2510_03102026.pdf.
Who should not file a second form
If you applied under Notification 1841 of 2024 dated 8 August 2024, or Notification 03 of 2024 dated 5 June 2024, you were eligible under the rules then in force, and your candidature was not rejected, you need not apply again. Aggregators repeating "16 new posts, everyone apply" skip that sentence.
Posts
| Category | Posts |
|---|---|
| OM | 4 |
| SC | 2 |
| ST-1 | 1 |
| ST-2 | 2 |
| ALC | 1 |
| OBC | 2 |
| RBA | 2 |
| EWS | 2 |
| Total | 16 |
Seven years, Urdu, and two Union Territories
You need a Bar Council-recognised law degree and seven years of actual continuous practice in civil and criminal courts, or seven years combined as an advocate and a judicial officer, counted on 4 November 2026. "Advocate" here includes pleaders, government pleaders and public prosecutors. The experience certificate is Annexure-A or Annexure-B. A self-typed list of cases is not that annexure.
Age is 35 to 45 on 4 November 2026. SC, ST, PwBD and OBC get two years. You must be a J&K domicile under the 2020 rules, or a Ladakh resident under the 2021 order, and a citizen of India. You must read and write Urdu. Paper-I has a translation of a passage in Urdu to English, or Hindi to English. If you cannot read Urdu, this notice is not a paperwork problem later. It is a paper problem on the day.
A man with more than one wife living, unless a law permits it, is disqualified. A woman who has married a man already having another wife is disqualified. Dismissal from government or High Court service, a conviction, or canvassing, also bars appointment.
Selection is two papers plus a viva that itself has a floor
Written examination: two papers, 80 marks and 2 hours each. Syllabus is Annexure-C of this notice. Viva is 40 marks. Call for viva is three candidates per vacancy, in order of written merit, only if you have 50 percent in the written examination (45 percent for SC, ST and PwBD). The viva itself needs 50 percent of 40, or 45 percent for those three categories. Final rank is written plus viva.
The papers, the nine-question choice, and the BNSS / BNS / BSA dual citation are on the syllabus page. A practice set is on the practice page.
Dates of the written test go up on jkhighcourt.nic.in. No newspaper call letter. No TA or DA.
Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit (as on 4 November 2026)
| Category | Age Relaxation | Max Age |
|---|---|---|
| Unreserved | Must have attained 35 and must not be above 45 on the last date of applications. | 45 years |
| SC, ST, PwBD and OBC | 2 years. | 47 years |
Educational Qualification
- A degree in law from a university established by law in India and recognised by the Bar Council of India.
- Actual continuous practice of not less than seven years as an advocate in courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction, or a combined continuous experience of seven years or more as an advocate and a judicial officer, as on 4 November 2026.
- Advocate here includes practising advocates, pleaders, government pleaders and public prosecutors. Practising advocates need Annexure-A from the Principal District and Sessions Judge or the Registrar Judicial. In-service judicial officers need Annexure-B.
- Domicile of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir under the 2020 domicile rules, or a resident of the UT of Ladakh under the 2021 Resident Certificate Order, and a citizen of India.
- Must be proficient in reading and writing Urdu.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| All candidates | Rs 1,200, online, after the form is submitted |
How to Apply
- 1Apply only on https://exams.jklhc.in. The High Court activated the link on 5 October 2026 from jkhighcourt.nic.in.
- 2Pay Rs 1,200 online. Keep the printout, the fee receipt and copies of the uploaded documents.
- 3Upload matriculation for date of birth, domicile or residence, the law degree, Annexure-A or Annexure-B, and the reserved-category certificate if claimed.
- 4People who applied under Notification 1841 of 2024 dated 8 August 2024, or Notification 03 of 2024 dated 5 June 2024, were eligible then, and were not rejected, need not apply again.
Frequently Asked Questions
OM 4, SC 2, ST-1 1, ST-2 2, ALC 1, OBC 2, RBA 2, EWS 2. Total 16.
Pay level J-5, Rs 1,44,840 to 1,94,660.
Yes. Two papers of 80 marks and 2 hours each, plus a 40-mark viva. You need 50 percent in the written papers to be called for viva, 45 percent if you are SC, ST or PwBD. The viva itself needs 50 percent, or 45 percent for those three categories. Merit is the sum of written and viva.
No. Dates go up on jkhighcourt.nic.in. No TA or DA is paid.