2.24.1 Before the commencement of the Constitution, Tripura was a Chief Commissioner’s Province. By the first schedule of the Constitution, it was Part "C" State.

2.24.2 Under the North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971, Tripura became an independent State in the Indian Union.

2.24.3 Now, Tripura has independent judicial system under the High Court of Gauhati.

2.24.4 Tripura Judicial Service Rules, 1974 regulates the recruitment and conditions of service of the State Judiciary.

2.24.5 There are three grades in the Judicial Service, viz.,

i) Judicial Officer - Grade I

ii) Judicial Officer - Grade II, and

iii) Judicial Officer - Grade III.

2.24.6 Judicial Officer-Grade I consists of Legal Remembrancer / Registrar in High Court / District and Sessions Judges / Additional District and Sessions Judges / Chief Judicial Magistrates / Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates and one Leave Reserve Post.

2.24.7 Judicial Officer-Grade II consists of Deputy Legal Remembrancer / Deputy Registrar in High Court / Assistant Sessions Judges / Civil Judges (Senior Division) and two Leave Reserve Posts.

2.24.8 Judicial Officer-Grade III consists of Civil Judges (Junior Division) / Judicial Magistrates / Sub-Divisional Magistrates / Registrars in the Court of the District Judges and four Leave Reserve Posts.

2.24.9 The posts in Grade I and Grade II are Class I Gazetted and the posts in Grade III are Class II Gazetted.

2.24.10 The initial recruitment to the posts in Grade III is partly done by the Public Service Commission to fill up 50 per cent of the posts on the basis of competitive written examination and viva-voce from amongst the Law Graduates in the age group of 22 years and 35 years. The remaining 50 per cent of the posts is filled up by the High Court by selection from amongst the Advocates with three years standing at the Bar in the age group of 25 years and 40 years.

2.24.11 After appointment, an officer in Grade III will be on probation for a period of two years. During the period of probation, he is required to undergo such training and pass Departmental Examination as prescribed by the High Court.

2.24.12 The pay scale of the Judicial Officer in Grade III is Rs.2100-75-2250-80-2490-85-3000-90-3720-95-4100-100-5000. At present, there are 45 posts in Grade III.

2.24.13 After four years of service, a Judicial Officer in Grade III would be entitled to Selection Time Scale of pay of Rs.3000-90-3720-95-4100-100-5000.

2.24.14 Grade II posts are purely promotional posts from Grade III on merit-cum-seniority. There are 10 posts in that grade carrying a pay scale of Rs.3600-130-4900-150-5800.

2.24.15 Judicial officer-Grade I is a mixed cadre to be filled up partly by direct recruitment and partly by promotion. 25 per cent of the posts are filled up by direct recruitment from amongst the advocates with seven years standing at the Bar in the age group of 35 years and 45 years. The remaining 75 per cent of the posts are filled up by promotion from Grade II.

2.24.16 The scale of pay of the Judicial Officers in Grade I is Rs.4000-140-4700-150-5900. There are 18 posts in the cadre.

2.24.17 20 per cent of the posts are Selection Grade posts in the pay scale of Rs.5900-200-6700. However, the appointment to the post of Legal Remembrancer and Secretary, Law Department in Grade I, Deputy Legal Remembrancer and Deputy Secretary, Law Department in Grade II is made by the Governor on selection from the members of the service in Grade I and Grade II respectively in consultation with the High Court. The posts of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar are filled up by the Chief Justice.

2.24.18 At present, the High Court selects the officers for undergoing training in North Eastern Judicial Officers’ Training Institute at Gauhati.

2.24.19 The direct recruitment to the service shall be subject to the orders issued by the Government from time to time regarding representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

2.24.20 Tripura (Courts) Order, 1950 as amended from time to time regulates the jurisdiction of the Civil Courts in Tripura.

2.24.21 The Civil Judge (Junior Division) has pecuniary jurisdiction to decide original suits upto the value of Rs.7,000/-. The Civil Judge (Senior Division) has unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction to decide suits.

2.24.22 The Courts of the District Judges, Additional District and Sessions Judges, Civil Judges (Senior Division) and Assistant Sessions Judges and Chief Judicial Magistrates have jurisdiction in their respective districts.

2.24.23 The Courts of the Civil Judges (Junior Division) and Judicial Magistrates have jurisdiction in their respective sub-divisions.

2.24.24 An appeal from a decree or order of an Assistant District Judge would lie to the District Judge where the value of the original suit in which or in any proceeding arising out of which the decree or order was made did not exceed Rs.50,000/- and to the High Court in any other case.

2.24.25 An appeal from a decree or order of a Civil Judge (Junior Division) would lie to the District Judge.

2.24.26 The High Court, may, with the previous sanction of the State Government, direct by notification in the official gazette, that any appeal lying to the District Judge under Sub-para (2) of Para 30 of Tripura Courts Order, 1950 as amended by the (Second) Amendment Act, 1992 from any of the decrees or orders of any Civil Judge (Junior Division) shall be preferred to the Court of such Assistant District Judge as may be mentioned in the notification and then such appeals shall thereupon be preferred accordingly.

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