Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026: Know Delhi Civil Judge (DJS) Prelims, Mains Exam Pattern

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026: The Delhi Judicial Service (DJS) Examination, conducted by the High Court of Delhi, recruits candidates for the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division). The exam is highly competitive and follows a structured three-stage process. The syllabus and scheme are governed by the Delhi Judicial Service Rules (as amended, including updates reflecting the new criminal laws effective from 2023–2024).

The examination is held in successive stages:

Preliminary Examination (Objective type – screening test)
Mains Examination (Written – descriptive)
Viva-Voce (Interview)

Marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination are not counted for the final merit list. Final ranking is based on the aggregate of Mains Examination + Viva-Voce marks.

Delhi Judiciary Exam Pattern Overview

Stage	Type	Total Marks	Duration	Negative Marking	Qualifying Criteria (General / Reserved)
Preliminary	Objective (MCQs)	200	2–2.5 hours	25% (0.25 marks)	60% / 55%
Mains	Descriptive (Written)	850	3 hours per paper	None	40% in each paper + 50% aggregate / 35% in each + 45% aggregate
Viva-Voce	Interview	150	—	None	50% / 45%

Number of candidates shortlisted for Mains: Generally not more than 10 times the vacancies in each category.
Number shortlisted for Viva-Voce: Generally not more than 3 times the vacancies in each category.
Candidates securing marks equal to the last shortlisted candidate are also included.

Delhi Judiciary Prelims Syllabus 2026

The Preliminary Examination consists of 200 objective-type questions/marks with 25% negative marking. It is designed to test general legal knowledge, legal aptitude, English expression and knowledge of objective legal problems. The examination duration is 2.5 hours.

Subject-wise Prelims Syllabus

Subject	Important Topics
Constitution of India	Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Fundamental Duties, President, Parliament, Supreme Court, High Courts, Centre-State Relations, Constitutional Amendments
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908	Jurisdiction, Res Judicata, Res Sub Judice, Pleadings, Parties, Summons, Written Statement, Interim Orders, Appeals, Review, Revision, Execution
Criminal Law	General principles of criminal liability, offences, punishments, exceptions, abetment, attempt and related provisions
Indian Contract Act, 1872	Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, Capacity, Free Consent, Void Agreements, Contingent Contracts, Indemnity, Guarantee, Bailment, Agency
Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008	Formation, Partners, Designated Partners, Rights and Duties, Liability and Dissolution
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996	Arbitration agreement, appointment of arbitrators, arbitral proceedings, awards, challenge and enforcement
Indian Evidence Act, 1872	Relevancy, Admissions, Confessions, Statements, Burden of Proof, Witnesses, Documentary Evidence
Specific Relief Act, 1963	Specific performance, injunctions, declaratory relief and related remedies
Limitation Act, 1963	Limitation periods, computation, acknowledgement, adverse possession and condonation
POCSO Act, 2012	Sexual offences against children, reporting, investigation, special courts and child-friendly procedures
Commercial Courts Act, 2015	Commercial disputes, jurisdiction, pleadings, case management and procedure

These subjects are expressly listed in the latest DJS syllabus published by the Delhi High Court.

Prelims Marking Scheme

Maximum Marks: 200
Type: Objective/MCQ
Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for every wrong answer
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
General Category qualifying marks: 60%
Reserved categories: 55%
Prelims marks are not added to final merit.

Delhi Judiciary Prelims Syllabus: Important Topics

Nature: Screening test of qualifying nature. One paper of multiple-choice questions.

Total Questions/Marks: 200 questions for 200 marks.

Marking Scheme: +1 for correct answer; –0.25 for every wrong answer.

Syllabus (as per the latest Appendix to Delhi Judicial Service Rules):

Questions test general legal knowledge, aptitude, power of expression, flair in English, and objective-type legal problems covering:

The Constitution of India
The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
The Indian Penal Code and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
The Indian Contract Act, 1872
The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
The Specific Relief Act, 1963
The Limitation Act, 1963
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO)
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015

Note: The High Court may include additional Acts/laws from time to time. English language, general legal knowledge, and current legal affairs are also tested within the paper.

Delhi Judiciary Mains Syllabus 2026

The Mains Examination consists of four papers carrying a total of 850 marks. Each paper is conducted for three hours.

Paper 1: General Legal Knowledge & Language – 250 Marks

This paper has two sections.

Section I – General Legal Knowledge: 100 Marks

Questions are intended to test the candidate’s knowledge of current legal affairs and general legal developments.

Candidates should prepare:

Important recent judgments
Constitutional developments
Major Supreme Court and High Court decisions
Important legal amendments
Current legal affairs
Important Acts and legislation
Legal institutions and commissions
Contemporary issues related to law and justice

Section II – Language: 150 Marks

This section tests the candidate’s English language, expression and writing ability.

It includes:

Essay Writing
Precis Writing
Translation from English to Hindi
Translation from Hindi to English
Grammar
Vocabulary
Sentence construction
Effective legal expression

The official scheme specifically provides for two translation passages—one from English to Hindi in Devanagari script and another from Hindi in Devanagari script to English.

Paper 2: Civil Law-I – 200 Marks

The Civil Law-I paper covers the following major laws:

Law	Major Areas to Prepare
Indian Contract Act, 1872	Contract formation, consideration, capacity, breach, indemnity, guarantee, bailment and agency
Sale of Goods Act, 1930	Sale, conditions and warranties, transfer of property, unpaid seller
Transfer of Property Act, 1882	Sale, mortgage, lease, gift, actionable claims
Specific Relief Act, 1963	Specific performance, injunctions, declarations
Hindu Law	Marriage, divorce, succession, adoption, maintenance
Mohammedan Law	Marriage, divorce, inheritance, gifts and related principles
Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958	Rent, eviction, tenancy and landlord-tenant disputes
Law of Torts	Negligence, nuisance, defamation, strict liability, vicarious liability
New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994	Relevant municipal provisions
Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957	Municipal administration and relevant legal provisions
Commercial Courts Act, 2015	Commercial disputes and related procedure

The above subjects form the officially prescribed Civil Law-I syllabus.

Paper 3: Civil Law-II – 200 Marks

Civil Law-II includes:

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

Focus on:

Jurisdiction
Res Judicata and Res Sub Judice
Parties to suits
Pleadings
Plaint and Written Statement
Summons
Discovery and Inspection
Interim orders
Judgment and Decree
Execution
Appeals
Review and Revision

Indian Evidence Act, 1872

Prepare:

Relevancy of facts
Admissions
Confessions
Statements
Documentary evidence
Oral evidence
Burden of proof
Presumptions
Witnesses
Examination and cross-examination

Limitation Act, 1963

Computation of limitation
Extension and exclusion of time
Acknowledgement
Condonation of delay
Adverse possession

Other Laws

Registration Act, 1908
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
Trade Marks Act, 1999
Copyright Act, 1957

These laws are specifically included under Civil Law-II in the Delhi Judicial Service syllabus.

Paper 4: Criminal Law – 200 Marks

The Criminal Law paper covers:

Law	Important Areas
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973	Arrest, bail, investigation, cognizance, trial, charge, evidence, appeals, revision
Indian Penal Code	General exceptions, offences against body, property, public order and other major offences
Indian Evidence Act	Relevancy, confessions, admissions, burden of proof, witnesses and documentary evidence
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005	Domestic violence, protection orders, residence orders, monetary relief
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881	Cheques, dishonour of cheque, statutory notice and proceedings
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013	Prevention, complaint mechanism, Internal Committee and inquiry
Juvenile Justice Act, 2015	Children in conflict with law, children in need of care and protection, juvenile justice institutions

Delhi Judiciary Mains Syllabus: Important Topics

Nature: Descriptive written examination consisting of four papers.

Paper	Subject	Maximum Marks	Duration
I	General Legal Knowledge & Language	250	3 hours
II	Civil Law-I	200	3 hours
III	Civil Law-II	200	3 hours
IV	Criminal Law	200	3 hours
Total		850	—

Paper I: General Legal Knowledge & Language (250 Marks)

This paper has two sections:

Section I – General Legal Knowledge (100 Marks): Tests knowledge of current legal affairs, recent judgments, legal developments, etc.
Section II – Language (Essay, Translation and Precis Writing) (150 Marks): Tests knowledge and power of expression in English. Credit is given for both substance and expression. Deductions are made for bad expression, faults of grammar, and misuse of words.
- Essay writing
- Precis writing
- Two translation passages:
  - One English passage to be translated into Hindi (Devnagri script)
  - One Hindi (Devnagri) passage to be translated into English

Paper II: Civil Law-I (200 Marks)

The Indian Contract Act, 1872
The Sale of Goods Act, 1930
The Transfer of Property Act, 1882
The Specific Relief Act, 1963
Hindu Law
Mohammedan Law (Muslim Law)
The Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958
Law of Torts
The New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994
The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015

Paper III: Civil Law-II (200 Marks)

The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
The Limitation Act, 1963
The Registration Act, 1908
The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
The Trade Marks Act, 1999
The Copyright Act, 1957

Paper IV: Criminal Law (200 Marks)

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
The Indian Penal Code and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
Related special laws (as may be specified; commonly includes POCSO, Negotiable Instruments Act aspects relevant to criminal proceedings, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, Juvenile Justice Act, etc., depending on the year’s notification)

Note: The High Court may include any other Acts/laws in the Preliminary and/or Mains Examination as specified from time to time.

3. Viva-Voce (Interview) – 150 Marks

Only candidates who secure the prescribed minimum marks in the Mains Examination are called.
General category: Minimum 40% in each written paper and 50% in aggregate of Mains.
Reserved categories (SC/ST and eligible PwD): Minimum 35% in each written paper and 45% in aggregate of Mains.
Minimum marks required in Viva-Voce itself: 50% (General) / 45% (Reserved) to be eligible for recommendation.
Marks obtained in Viva-Voce are added to Mains marks to determine the final order of merit.

Key Preparation Tips for Delhi Civil Judge Exam

Focus on New Criminal Laws: Thoroughly study the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) along with the corresponding old laws (IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act), as questions often test comparative knowledge.
Local Laws: Give special attention to Delhi-specific statutes (Delhi Rent Control Act, NDMC Act, DMC Act).
Language Skills: Practice English essay writing, precis, and Hindi–English translations regularly. Expression and accuracy carry significant weight.
Current Legal Affairs: Stay updated with recent Supreme Court and Delhi High Court judgments, legislative amendments, and legal developments.
Practice: Solve previous years’ papers and take mock tests under timed conditions. For Mains, focus on structured, analytical answers with proper case law citations.
Eligibility Snapshot (subject to latest notification): Indian citizen, law graduate, age usually not exceeding 32 years (with relaxations), and practice requirement as per current rules (note recent Supreme Court developments on the 3-year practice rule).

Brajesh

Brajesh (MCA, M.Tech (IT)) is a passionate education and career content creator with a strong academic background in Computer Applications (MCA) and Technology (M.Tech). With years of hands-on experience in exam preparation strategies, syllabus analysis, and government job updates, he helps students and aspirants navigate their academic and professional journeys with clarity and confidence.