Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026 for Prelims, Mains & Interview [Download Pdf]

Delhi Judiciary syllabus 2026 defines everything that will be tested across the 3-stage civil judge selection process.

• Core subjects for the written exams include the Constitution of India, CPC, CrPC, IPC, the Indian Evidence Act, Contract Act, and the new criminal laws: BNS, BNSS, and BSA.
• The prelims is an objective-type, qualifying test with 25% negative marking for each wrong answer. It tests core law topics, GK, and current affairs.
• The Mains consists of 4 descriptive papers: Civil Law I, Civil Law II, Criminal Law, and General Legal Knowledge & Language. This is followed by an Interview/Viva-voce for selected candidates.

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026 PDF Download

You can download the Delhi judiciary syllabus PDF 2026 here. 

Download Delhi Judiciary Syllabus PDF 2026

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026 for Prelims & Mains  

According to the Delhi Judiciary Exam Pattern, you must know the syllabus of all three stages of the DJS Exam:

• Preliminary Examination (Objective type with 25% negative marking)
• Mains Examination (Written Exam)
• Viva-Voice

As said above, there are common topics in both Prelims and Mains exams. However, the marking scheme and question types vary across each stage of the exam. The table below shows you the overall Delhi Judiciary syllabus 2026 for the prelims and mains exam. 

Stage	Paper	Subjects Covered
Prelims	Single Objective Paper	Constitutional Law, CPC, CrPC, IPC/BNS, Evidence Act/BSA, Indian Contract Act, Specific Relief Act, Arbitration & Conciliation Act, Limitation Act, Commercial Courts Act, POCSO Act, LLP Act, General Legal Knowledge & Current Affairs
Mains	Paper 1 | General Legal Knowledge & Language	Current legal affairs, important judgments, constitutional developments, Essay Writing, Precis Writing, English-Hindi & Hindi-English Translation, English proficiency
Mains	Paper 2 | Civil Law-I	Indian Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act, Specific Relief Act, Hindu Law & Muslim Law, Law of Torts, Delhi Rent Control Act, DMC Act, NDMC Act
Mains	Paper 3 | Civil Law-II	Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), Law of Evidence, Limitation Act, Registration Act
Mains	Paper 4 | Criminal Law	CrPC/BNSS, IPC/BNS, Evidence Law (criminal aspects), Criminal jurisprudence
Viva-Voce	Personal Interview	Judicial temperament, current legal developments, personality assessment, communication skills, practical application of law

Download FREE Study Material for DJS 2026 Exam by Judiciary Gold

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus for Prelims 2026

The DJS preliminary exam is an objective-type screening test designed to assess candidates' understanding of core legal subjects, current affairs, and general legal awareness.  

As per the Delhi Judicial Service Rules and the latest exam framework followed by the Delhi High Court, candidates should focus on the following subjects while preparing for the Prelims stage.  

• Constitutional Law 
• Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC) 
• Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) 
• Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) / applicable criminal law provisions notified by the Delhi High Court 
• Indian Evidence Act, 1872 / applicable evidence law provisions notified by the Delhi High Court 
• Indian Contract Act, 1872 
• Specific Relief Act, 1963 
• Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 
• Limitation Act, 1963 
• Commercial Courts Act, 2015 
• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 
• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008 
• General Legal Knowledge and Current Affairs  

Your key focus should be on:  

• Fundamental legal concepts and statutory provisions 
• Important judicial developments and landmark judgments 
• Recent legal and constitutional updates 
• Current affairs relevant to law and governance  

Download CPC Notes for DJS 2026 by Judiciary Gold

Solve Delhi Judiciary Question Papers to know the difficulty level of the paper and the type of questions asked in the exam.

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus for Mains 2026

 As per the Delhi Judiciary exam pattern 2026, the mains is a descriptive written exam. It evaluates a candidate's legal knowledge, analytical ability, drafting skills, and command of language.  

Paper 1: General Legal Knowledge & Language (250 Marks)  

Paper 1 is divided into two sections:  

General Legal Knowledge  

• Current legal affairs and developments 
• Important judgments and legal issues 
• Contemporary legal and constitutional developments  

Language  

• Essay Writing 
• Precis Writing 
• English-Hindi Translation 
• Hindi-English Translation 
• English language proficiency and expression  

Check Out: How to Prepare English Language for the Delhi Judiciary Exam 

Paper 2: Civil Law-I (200 Marks) 

 The Delhi Judiciary syllabus for mains Paper 2 (Civil Law I) includes the following subjects:  

• Indian Contract Act, 1872 
• Sale of Goods Act, 1930 
• Specific Relief Act, 1963 
• Hindu Law and Muslim Law 
• Law of Torts 
• Delhi Rent Control Act 
• Other important civil law subjects prescribed by the Delhi High Court  

Download Sales of Goods Act Notes by Judiciary Gold

Paper 3: Civil Law-II (200 Marks) 

Important topics under DJS syllabus for mains Paper 2 include:  

• Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 
• Law of Evidence 
• Limitation Act, 1963 
• Registration Act, 1908  

Check: Important Civil Law Questions for Delhi Judiciary Exam 

Paper 4: Criminal Law (200 Marks) 

 For DJS mains Paper 4, candidates need a thorough understanding of:  

• Criminal Procedure Law 
• Penal Law 
• Evidence Law 
• Core principles of criminal jurisprudence  

The Delhi Judiciary Mains exam requires you to be prepared for writing structured, descriptive answers and applying legal principles to given situations.

To perform better, prepare law subjects using bare acts, practice case law analysis, and structured answer-writing regularly.

Free TOPPERS Answer Script for DJS Preparation (Sukriti Jha, DJS Rank 9)

Check Out- Delhi Judiciary Vacancy For Upcoming Exam

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus 2026: Important Local Laws

The Delhi judiciary exam syllabus also covers Delhi-specific municipal and local laws. Ignoring or missing out on this could be a grave mistake for your Delhi judiciary preparation.

Here are the most important Delhi-specific local laws you should prepare for the civil judge exam: 

• Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958: Governs disputes between landlords and tenants and rent regulation in Delhi
• Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957: Mentions the powers, functions, and jurisdictions of Delhi's municipal bodies
• New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Act, 1994: Governs the administration for the New Delhi Municipal Council area, separately from DMC's jurisdiction

These jurisdictions apply specifically for Delhi and are tested to understand a candidate's knowledge about the local area. It's better to not ignore these. 

Delhi Judiciary Syllabus for Interview 2026 

While there is no specific syllabus for the interview, candidates are generally assessed on their legal knowledge, personality traits, and suitability for judicial office.  

Here are the key areas that will be assesses in the Delhi Judicial Services Exam interview phase:  

• Judicial Temperament: Candidate's ability to remain impartial, balanced, and objective while dealing with legal issues. 
• Current Legal Developments: Awareness of recent judgments, legal reforms, constitutional issues, and contemporary legal debates. 
• Personality Assessment: Candidate's confidence, integrity, leadership qualities, and how well they are for a judicial profession. 
• Communication Skills: Clarity of thought, articulation, logical reasoning, and effective expression of legal opinions. 
• Practical Application of Law: Ability to apply legal principles to real-life situations and analyze case-based scenarios.  

New Judiciary Eligibility Rule by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court had restored a rule of 3-year practice at the Bar for candidates willing to apply for the Civil Judge exams as per the judgement on May 20, 2025. Here are the changes s per the current judgement and judiciary practice rule:

• Fresh law graduates can apply for Civil Judge (Junior Division) exams without 3 years of Bar practice for vacancies advertised up to March 31, 2027.
• For all the notifications from April 01, 2027, the candidates holding one-year of practice at District Court can apply.
• After selection, candidates must complete 1 year of Judicial Academy training + 1 year of Law Clerkship before regular judicial appointment.
• LL.M. or higher legal education will not count as practice experience.

In short, the 3-year bar practice rule has been effectively replaced with 1-year of actual practice and 2- year of structured training/clerkship model.

Get More Details of the SC Judgement

Why is it Important to know the Delhi Judiciary Syllabus?

Knowing the DJS Exam syllabus helps the aspirants to plan their preparation strategy to crack the Delhi Civil Judge exam. Listed below are some benefits of knowing the syllabus before starting preparation.

• Gives Clarity on which topics and subjects to study, avoiding the wastage of time on irrelevant issues.
• Helps to create a structured study plan and shortlist the study materials based on the syllabus
• Having a clear idea about the prelims and mains syllabus helps aspirants to allocate enough time for both the exams
• Knowing what to study and what not to study boosts the confidence of the aspirant. 

The Delhi Judiciary Exam syllabus is designed to test your knowledge of the Indian Judicial System. Having a strong foundation in legal concepts and General Knowledge is necessary to prepare for the exam. Growing competition for Delhi Civil Judge posts requires you to understand the syllabus thoroughly and to prepare for it well in advance. If needed, join the Judiciary Gold Judiciary coaching classes in Delhi, which help you to overcome the competition.

Here are the key takeaways:

• The Delhi High Court releases the Delhi Judiciary Syllabus annually, and it serves as a comprehensive guide for aspirants.
• The syllabus varies for Prelims and Mains according to the exam pattern. However, it mainly evaluates a candidate’s legal knowledge, language skills, and current legal affairs.
• The Mains exam tests a wide range of legal topics, from civil and criminal law to language proficiency.
• The Viva-voce stage evaluates candidates’ legal understanding, communication skills, and reasoning ability.
• Scoring criteria for viva voce vary by category, with a minimum of 50% required in the general category.