Law as a career choice
Ranjan K Baruah *
We often say that justice delayed is justice denied. There are many women on earth who have never got justice in their lifetime. We are aware of the judiciary around the world. Recently we have observed International Women Day and this is a day which reminds us about women rights and justices. We must be aware of certain issues when it comes to women and justice and judiciary.
We should know that around the world forty per cent of judges were women in 2017, which is 35 per cent more than in 2008. In 1946, Eleanor Roosevelt famously penned an "open letter to the women of the world," urging their increased involvement in national and international affairs.
In most European countries, there are more women than men professional judges or magistrates; however, women represent 41 per cent of the judges in national supreme courts and only 25 per cent of court presidents. In the case of India we don’t see many women as judges and this brings more opportunity for young women to become judges in India.
Despite women’s increased engagement in public life, they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions. In fact, a relatively small number of women have been, or are part of, the judiciary, particularly at senior judicial leadership positions. Women’s representation in the judiciary is key to ensuring that courts represent their citizens, address their concerns and hand down sound judgments.
By their mere presence, women judges enhance the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to those who seek recourse to justice.
The entry of women judges into spaces from which they had historically been excluded has been a positive step in the direction of judiciaries being perceived as being more transparent, inclusive, and representative of the people whose lives they affect.
We know that a Judge is a legal professional and many students from legal backgrounds dream for the same as it is one of the most prestigious jobs in India. Before dreaming to become a judge one must study law which can be done in India in different law colleges. One may choose to study law after Class XII or after graduation in India.
A Judge is a professional who gets appointed to preside over court proceedings and they pass the final verdict listening to both parties in the court. The salary of Judges varies depending on their career progression, appointment in courts or similar matters.
In order to become a Judge in India, one needs to appear for the Judicial Services Examination as this is the examination through which law graduates can become practicing members of the subordinate judiciary. After that there are types of exams like Lower Judicial Services or Higher Judicial Services.
The exams consist of preliminary examination, main examination and interview. The Lower Judicial Services (J) Examination is con-ducted to appoint civil judges in state courts. It is conducted by the State Public Service Commission or the High Court High Judicial Services Examination is conducted to promote Civil Judges to District Judges or appoint Advocates as District Judges.
We must be aware that The Indian Judiciary system comprises the Supreme Court, High Courts, and Subordinate Courts. Both male and female can become Judges in India but the number of women judges increases in India for which we have to inspire young women to be students of law and later appear in Judicial Services Examinations to become judges.
* Ranjan K Baruah wrote this article for The Sangai Express
The writer is a career mentor and skill trainer
and can be contacted at bkranjan(AT)gmail(DOT)com for any career related queries
This article was webcasted on 26 March 2023
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