Home The Constitution Part VI Article 236

Art. 236 Part VI: The States

Interpretation

Exact text — Constitution of India

In this Chapter—(a) the expression 'district judge' includes judge of a city civil court, additional district judge, joint district judge, assistant district judge, chief judge of a small cause court, chief presidency magistrate, additional chief presidency magistrate, sessions judge, additional sessions judge and assistant sessions judge; (b) the expression 'judicial service' means a service consisting exclusively of persons intended to fill the post of district judge and other civil judicial posts inferior to the post of district judge.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article defines the key terms used throughout this Chapter on Subordinate Courts — clarifying that 'district judge' actually covers a whole range of equivalent-level judicial titles used across different states and court types (city civil courts, sessions courts, presidency magistrates, and more), and precisely defining what counts as the 'judicial service'.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This ensures consistent constitutional treatment across India's varied local judicial titling conventions — different states and cities have historically used different names for functionally equivalent district-level judicial positions, and this Article ensures they're all covered uniformly by this Chapter's protections.

Read alongside this one

Art. 233 — Appointment of District Judges

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 236

Why are there so many different titles for essentially the same judicial level?

This reflects India's varied historical judicial administration traditions across different regions and city court systems (like Presidency Magistrates in the former Presidency towns), which this Article's broad definition specifically accommodates rather than trying to standardise.

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The text above reproduces Article 236 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.