The Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Examination (HPJS), conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) , is a competitive exam to recruit Civil Judges (Junior Division) in the state. This detailed article includes the complete syllabus, exam pattern, marks distribution, subject-wise topics, topic descriptions, recommended books, preparation tips, and a free PDF download link .
HP Judiciary Exam Overview 2025
Exam Component
Details
Conducting Body
Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC)
Exam Name
Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services Exam (HPJS)
Post
Civil Judge (Junior Division)
Mode of Exam
Offline (Pen & Paper)
Stages
Preliminary, Mains, Viva Voce (Interview)
Eligibility
LLB Degree (Recognized by BCI)
Official Website
https://hppsc.hp.gov.in
HP Judiciary Exam Pattern 2025
Prelims Pattern
Paper
Subjects
Marks
Duration
Objective Type
Law, Constitution, GK, Reasoning
100
2 Hours
Note: 1/4th negative marking. This stage is qualifying in nature.
Mains Pattern
Paper
Subject
Marks
Duration
I
Civil Law I
200
3 Hours
II
Civil Law II
200
3 Hours
III
Criminal Law
200
3 Hours
IV
English Composition
150
3 Hours
V
Hindi (Devanagari Script)
100
3 Hours
Interview
Viva Voce
150
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HP Judiciary Preliminary Exam Syllabus – Detailed Subject Breakdown
The Preliminary Examination is an objective-type test (MCQs) and serves as a screening test. Here’s the topic-wise syllabus:
Subject
Topics
Description
Civil Law Code of Civil Procedure, Indian Contract Act, Specific Relief Act, Indian Evidence Act, Limitation Act
Basics of civil dispute resolution, procedures, remedies, contracts, evidence admissibility, and time limitations.
Criminal Law Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Evidence Act
Criminal offenses, trial procedures, evidentiary rules.
Constitution of India Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSPs, Union Government, Judiciary, Emergency, Constitutional Remedies
Core principles of the Indian Constitution and judicial mechanisms.
General Knowledge Indian Polity, Economy, History, Geography, Current Affairs (National & HP State), Legal Awareness
Awareness about current and static general knowledge with special focus on Himachal Pradesh.
Reasoning and Aptitude Series, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Puzzles, Directions, Syllogism, Arithmetic, Time-Speed-Distance, Profit & Loss, Percentage
Tests candidate’s logical and analytical reasoning ability.
HP Judiciary Mains Exam – Detailed Subject-wise Topics & Descriptions
The Mains exam is written and includes 5 papers (Law and Language). Below is a paper-wise topic breakdown with detailed descriptions.
Paper I: Civil Law – I
Topic
Description
Indian Contract Act, 1872
Covers contracts, agreements, offer & acceptance, consideration, capacity to contract, performance, breach, and remedies.
Specific Relief Act, 1963
Deals with specific performance of contracts, injunctions, declaratory reliefs, and preventive relief.
Himachal Pradesh Courts Act
Details the court structure, jurisdictional distribution, and functioning of courts within the state.
Civil Procedure Code (CPC), 1908
Governs the procedure for civil suits including jurisdiction, pleadings, interim orders, execution of decrees, appeals, and revisions.
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Laws of evidence including relevance, admissibility, examination of witnesses, presumptions, and burden of proof.
Limitation Act, 1963
Provides for the limitation period for filing civil cases and applications in courts.
Paper II: Civil Law – II
Topic
Description
Hindu Law
Involves rules related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption, inheritance, and succession under Hindu personal law.
Muslim Law
Covers Muslim marriage (Nikah), talaq (divorce), maintenance (nafqah), succession, gift, and waqf (endowment).
Rent Control Act (HP)
Discusses provisions for fair rent, eviction processes, protection of tenant rights, and landlord obligations.
Indian Registration Act, 1908
Focuses on registration of documents, especially related to property transactions, and legal enforceability.
Indian Stamp Act, 1899
Governs imposition of stamp duties on various documents and instruments.
Transfer of Property Act, 1882
Covers sale, mortgage, lease, gift, and exchange of immovable property, including legal principles of ownership transfer.
Paper III: Criminal Law
Topic
Description
Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860
General principles of criminal liability, types of offenses (against body, property, public order), and punishments.
Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973
Criminal trial processes – arrest, bail, FIR, investigation, charge framing, trials, appeals, revision, and maintenance orders.
Indian Evidence Act (Criminal context)
Provisions related to examination of witnesses, admissibility of confession, circumstantial evidence, etc.
Local Criminal Laws
Any criminal statutes or amendments specific to Himachal Pradesh.
Paper IV: English Composition
This paper tests proficiency in English language, particularly for legal communication.
Section
Marks
Description
Essay Writing
100
A 1000–1200 word essay on a contemporary legal or social issue.
Precis Writing
25
Summarizing a long paragraph into a concise and meaningful precis.
Translation (Hindi to English)
25
Legal passage or general Hindi content translated into English.
Paper V: Language (Hindi in Devanagari Script)
Tests the candidate’s command over Hindi, especially useful for understanding and writing local court documents.
Section
Marks
Description
Essay Writing in Hindi
50
A legal or socio-political topic, testing composition skills in Hindi.
Translation (English to Hindi)
50
Legal/general English paragraph translated into standard Hindi.
HP Judiciary Syllabus PDF Download
Download the official HPJS syllabus directly from the HPPSC portal:
Download HP Judiciary Syllabus PDF 2025
Recommended Books for HPJS Preparation
Subject
Book
Author
Constitution
Introduction to the Constitution of India
D.D. Basu
CPC
Code of Civil Procedure
C.K. Takwani
Contract Law
Law of Contract
Avtar Singh
IPC
Indian Penal Code
K.D. Gaur
CrPC
Criminal Procedure Code
Ratanlal & Dhirajlal
Evidence Act
Law of Evidence
Batuk Lal
Family Law
Hindu/Muslim Law
Paras Diwan
GK & Current Affairs
Lucent’s GK / Pratiyogita Darpan
Various
Preparation Tips for HP Judiciary Exam
Start with Bare Acts for each subject.
Make concise notes with important case laws.
Practice MCQs and previous year papers.
Focus on Essay and Translation practice.
Read legal news portals like Bar & Bench, Live Law.
Attempt regular mock tests for both Prelims and Mains.
Key Specialization Areas
Law Area
Focus Topics
Civil Law
CPC, Evidence Act, Contract Act
Criminal Law
IPC, CrPC, Local Offenses
Property Law
Lease, Gift, Sale, TPA
Family Law
Marriage, Divorce, Maintenance
Constitution
FRs, DPSPs, Judiciary, Emergency
FAQs – HP Judiciary Syllabus
Q1: Is Hindi mandatory?Ans: Yes, Paper V tests Hindi proficiency.Q2: Is Prelims qualifying?Ans: Yes, it’s a screening test.Q3: How many attempts allowed?Ans: No fixed limit unless age limit exceeded.Q4: How to prepare Essay and Translation?Ans: Daily writing practice and vocabulary building in both Hindi and English.
Conclusion
The Himachal Pradesh Judiciary syllabus 2025 is comprehensive and tests legal knowledge, procedural understanding, and language proficiency. Start with the basics, follow a planned schedule, and rely on standard books. With consistent effort, cracking HPJS is within reach. Download the syllabus PDF, choose the right books, and begin your preparation today!
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