2.17.1 Under the State of Nagaland Act, 1962, certain territories comprised in Naga Hills - Tuensang area from the State of Assam were bifurcated and integrated to form the State of Nagaland.

2.17.2 At present, there are four grades in the Judicial Service, viz.,

(i) Grade I, (ii) Grade II, (iii) Grade III and (iv) Grade IV.

Grade I consists of :

i) District and Sessions Judges,

ii) Additional District and Sessions Judges.

Grade II consists of :

i) Deputy Registrar in High Court,

ii) Chief Judicial Magistrates.

Grade III consists of :

i) Judicial Magistrates First Class and Sub-Judges,

ii) Assistant Registrar in High Court.

Grade IV consists of :

Judicial Magistrates Second Class and Sub-Judges.

2.17.3 The Nagaland Judicial Service Rules, 1995 regulate the recruitment to the service. The initial recruitment to the post of Judicial Magistrates-Second Class and Sub-Judges in Grade IV is made by the Public Service Commission on the basis of competitive written examination and viva-voce from amongst the advocates with three years' practice at the bar. The Governor is the appointing authority.

2.17.4 The selected candidate will be on probation for a period of two years. The initial pay is Rs.2100/- in the pay scale of Rs.2100-60-2760-70-3600-80-4000. At present, there are five posts in the cadre.

2.17.5 The cadre of Judicial Magistrates-First Class and Sub-Judges / Assistant Registrar in the High Court in Grade III is a mixed cadre to be filled up partly by promotion and partly by direct recruitment in the ratio of 3:1. The direct recruitment is made from amongst the advocates with a minimum of four years' practice at the bar. The promotion is made on the basis of merit and ability from the Judicial Officers in Grade IV with at least three years of service. The newly recruited officer will be on probation for a period of two years. There are five posts in the cadre of Judicial Magistrates First Class and Sub-Judges and two posts in the cadre of Assistant Registrar in High Court in the Pay Scale of Rs.2900-100-3900-125-4900.

2.17.6 The post of Chief Judicial Magistrate / Deputy Registrar in High Court in Grade II will be filled up by promotion from the officers confirmed in Grade III or by direct recruitment from the bar in accordance with the rules. 25 per cent of the posts are filled up by direct recruitment on the recommendation of the High Court from amongst the Advocates who are not more than 35 years of age. The Government is the appointing authority.

2.17.7 At present, there is one post of Deputy Registrar in the High Court in the pay scale of Rs.2900-100-3900-125-49000.

2.17.8 The cadre of Additional District and Sessions Judges in Grade I is a mixed cadre to be filled up by direct recruitment and by promotion in the ratio of 1:3. The direct recruitment is made from amongst the members of the bar with minimum of seven years' practice and promotion is made from the Judicial Officers from Grade II on the basis of merit and ability. Newly recruited Additional District and Sessions Judges will be on probation for a period of two years. At present, there are eight posts of Additional District and Sessions Judges carrying the pay scale of Rs.3500-125-4250-140-5650.

2.17.9 There is one post of District and Sessions Judge in Grade I in the Pay Scale of Rs.4500-150-5850-175-6200 to be filled up either by promotion from the post of Additional District and Sessions Judges or by direct recruitment from the advocates with seven years' practice at the bar.

2.17.10 In all the cadres, while making promotions, if merit and ability are considered approximately equal, then seniority shall be taken into consideration. Training is imparted to the newly appointed Judicial Officers in the North-East Judicial Officers Training Institute as per the training schedule prescribed by the State Government.

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