Delhi Judicial Services Syllabus: Prelims and Mains Topics

The Delhi Judicial Services syllabus is written in the Delhi Judicial Service Rules as a list of Acts and subjects, not as a chapter-by-chapter outline. That makes it easy to read but easy to underestimate, because a single line such as "Code of Civil Procedure, 1908" covers hundreds of sections and a long list of orders.

The High Court of Delhi names the subjects for the prelims and for each of the four mains papers, and it does not publish topic-wise weightage. The topic lists below are built from the Rules and from the structure of the 2023 question papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and confirm the Acts against the next notification.

Table of Contents

• Delhi Judicial Services syllabus

• Key changes to know

• Prelims syllabus

• High-yield topics inside the big Acts

• Mains syllabus

• Old and new criminal law ready reckoner

• Overlap between prelims and mains

• Viva-voce: is there a syllabus?

• How to cover the syllabus

• Official sources

Delhi Judicial Services syllabus at a glance

Key changes to know

• New criminal laws: The Rules copy we reviewed names the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replaced them from 1 July 2024. Some coaching pages already list both sets, but the next official notice will decide how the exam treats them. Until then, learn the new section numbers beside the old ones.

• Higher judiciary is separate: The Delhi Higher Judicial Service exam for district judges has its own syllabus and eligibility. Do not use its material as your DJS checklist.

• Amendments happen: The advertisement for the 2023 cycle mentions Rules amended up to 26 September 2023. A later amendment can add or drop an Act, so read the schedule attached to each notice.

• Older pages mislead: Several summaries still mention Acts or paper structures from earlier years. If a page lists an Act that you cannot find in the current Rules, treat it with caution.

Prelims syllabus

The prelims is one objective paper that tests general legal knowledge, aptitude, English expression and objective legal problems. The Rules list twelve subject areas.

Along with these Acts, the paper includes English language and general legal knowledge questions, so reading a legal newspaper column daily helps.

Where the 2023 prelims drew its questions

The Delhi High Court does not publish subject-wise weightage. A reading of the 2023 question booklet (200 questions) gives this rough picture, which is indicative and not an official breakdown.

The two procedure codes and the penal law together supplied roughly 85 questions that year. Because the weightage can shift, treat this as a guide to effort, not a promise. The Arbitration and Commercial Courts questions show that the "smaller" Acts are tested in real depth.

High-yield topics inside the big Acts

Four Acts supply a large share of marks in both the prelims and the mains, so they deserve a deeper checklist than a single line in the syllabus.

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

• Jurisdiction and suits: Pecuniary, territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction, res sub judice, res judicata, institution of suits and summons.

• Pleadings and parties: Plaint, written statement, set-off, counterclaim, joinder and misjoinder, rejection of plaint.

• Interim relief and execution: Temporary injunctions, attachment before judgment, receivers, modes of execution, arrest and detention.

• Remedies after decree: First appeal, second appeal, review, revision and reference.

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (BNSS)

• Pre-trial stage: Arrest, bail, FIR, investigation, remand, police reports and cognizance.

• Trial stage: Warrant, summons and summary trials, charge, plea bargaining, examination of accused and judgment.

• Special provisions: Maintenance, security proceedings, inherent powers and compounding of offences.

Indian Penal Code (BNS) and Evidence Act (BSA)

• Penal law: General exceptions, common intention, abetment, conspiracy, offences against the human body, property offences, offences against women and children.

• Evidence: Relevancy, admissions, confessions, dying declarations, expert opinion, burden of proof, presumptions and electronic records.

Mains syllabus

The mains has four descriptive papers. Marks are 250 for Paper 1 and 200 for each of the others. You need the per-paper minimum in every paper, so a weak paper cannot be hidden by a strong one.

Paper 1: General Legal Knowledge and Language (250 marks)

This paper has two sections.

• General Legal Knowledge (100 marks): Current legal affairs, recent Supreme Court and High Court rulings, constitutional developments and key legislative changes.

• Language (150 marks): Essay writing, precis writing, and translation of passages from English into Hindi in Devanagari script and from Hindi into English. Marks are given for substance and for expression, and poor grammar or misuse of words can cost marks.

Paper 2: Civil Law I (200 marks)

Paper 3: Civil Law II (200 marks)

• Procedure and proof: Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam).

• Time and registration: Limitation Act, 1963 and Registration Act, 1908.

• Commercial and IP laws: Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, Trade Marks Act, 1999 and Copyright Act, 1957.

Paper 4: Criminal Law (200 marks)

• Core codes: Code of Criminal Procedure, Indian Penal Code and Indian Evidence Act, with their newer counterparts.

• Special laws: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (cheque dishonour), Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Past mains papers are on the Delhi High Court website and show the real style of questions. Problem-based questions that ask you to apply sections to facts carry the most marks, so practise IRAC-style answers (issue, rule, application, conclusion).

Old and new criminal law ready reckoner

Because the exam documents we reviewed still name the older codes while the newer ones are now in force, a side-by-side list of frequently asked provisions saves revision time. Verify every number against the bare act before putting it in your notes.

Overlap between prelims and mains

Viva-voce: is there a syllabus?

The Rules prescribe 150 marks for the viva-voce but no separate syllabus. The interview normally draws on your law subjects, current legal affairs, judicial temperament and your background. Preparing your own application form, recent judgments and the practical working of courts is the best use of time.

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 8: Read bare acts and standard commentaries for CPC, CrPC, IPC, Evidence, Contract and Limitation. Make short notes with section numbers.

2. Weeks 9 to 14: Add Arbitration, Commercial Courts, Specific Relief, POCSO, LLP and Constitution. Start topic-wise MCQs.

3. Weeks 15 to 20: Begin Paper 2 and Paper 3 subjects such as Transfer of Property, personal law, torts and Delhi laws. Write one answer a day.

4. Final phase: Take full-length mocks, review mistakes the same day and revise your error log.

To check retention, you can attempt topic-wise online tests on Testkart and compare your accuracy by Act. Combine them with the official previous year papers, so the mix of questions feels familiar before the real paper.

Official sources

Check the Rules and notification on the Delhi High Court website: https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/. Past papers are listed at https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/web/delhi-judicial-service.