Judge in 700: The qadi takes the bench

How long does it take to become a judge? In career judiciaries the route is fast: a French law graduate who passes the École nationale de la magistrature entrance exam can be sitting as a judge around age 27, nine years after leaving school. In common-law systems the bench comes late — a law degree, bar qualification and typically fifteen to twenty-five years of practice first, so most judges are appointed in their forties or fifties.

Mostly appointed — by independent commissions in the UK, by the executive with legislative confirmation for US federal judges, by judicial councils in much of Europe, by the collegium of senior judges in India. The great exception is the American states: 39 of the 50 use elections for at least some judgeships, a practice most other democracies deliberately avoid for fear of campaign money influencing rulings.

Well, but usually less than the top lawyers who appear before them. A US federal district judge earned $243,300 in 2024; a UK High Court judge about £232,000; an Australian Federal Court judge roughly A$490,000; a German judge starts near €60,000. In India a Supreme Court justice's base salary is about ₹30 lakh a year plus housing — many senior advocates earn that in a week.