Judiciary Mains Answer Writing: Structure, Timing and a Worked Example

Judiciary mains answer writing rewards a fixed structure: state the issue, quote the governing section, cite one or two leading cases, apply the law to the facts and end with a clear conclusion. In the criminal law papers, give the BNS, BNSS or BSA section with the old IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act number in brackets. Most State mains are long written papers (UP PCS (J) mains, for example, carries 1,000 marks over six papers), so speed, legibility and structure decide marks as much as knowledge.

The ILCAC structure for judiciary mains answer writing

1. Issue. One line that frames the legal question. “Whether the accused can claim private defence when he struck after the assailant had turned to flee.”
2. Law. The section, with its key words in quotation marks only if you are sure of them. Then the old number in brackets.
3. Cases. One leading case and, where you have it, one recent Supreme Court ruling. Name, year and a one-line ratio. Do not write a paragraph of facts.
4. Application. This is where marks are won. Take each fact from the question and test it against each ingredient.
5. Conclusion. A direct answer: guilty or not, maintainable or not, relief granted or refused. Examiners dislike answers that end on “it depends”.

Theory questions versus problem questions

Theory questions (“Discuss the law on dowry death”) need a short introduction, the ingredients as numbered points, the presumption, two or three cases and a critical note. Close with a reform point or a recent development.

Problem questions (“A, B and C attack D…”) need ILCAC strictly. List the parties, identify each offence, apply the general exceptions and decide. Treat each accused separately. Many candidates lose marks by giving one conclusion for three accused with different roles.

A worked outline: a dowry death problem

Question: Pooja dies of burns in her matrimonial home in Kanpur, 4 years after her marriage to Amit. Her father says Amit and his mother demanded a car and beat her a week before her death. Advise the prosecution.

• Issue: Whether Amit and his mother are liable for dowry death and cruelty.
• Law: Section 80 BNS (old Section 304B IPC): death by burns or bodily injury, or otherwise than in normal circumstances, within seven years of marriage, where she was subjected to cruelty or harassment for dowry “soon before her death”. Cruelty under Section 85 BNS (old 498A IPC), defined in Section 86. Presumption under Section 118 BSA (old 113B Evidence Act).
• Application: Death by burns, within seven years (4 years), a dowry demand (car) and assault a week before death: each ingredient is met on the father’s account. Once these are proved, the court shall presume dowry death under Section 118 BSA, and the burden moves to the accused to rebut it.
• Conclusion: Charge both under Sections 80 and 85 BNS. The case depends on proving the demand and the “soon before” link through credible witnesses.

Notice what this outline does. Every fact in the question is used. Every section has its old number. The conclusion names the charges.

Time and presentation rules

• Split time by marks. If a 200-mark paper runs three hours, you have under a minute a mark. A 20-mark answer gets about 16 to 18 minutes, including a minute to plan.
• Plan in the margin. Write four words for the structure before you begin: issue, section, case, conclusion.
• Underline sparingly. Section numbers and case names only. Underlining whole lines hides what matters.
• Short paragraphs. Three to five lines each. Leave a line between them.
• Legible beats fast. An examiner who cannot read a section number cannot give marks for it.
• Do not skip a question. A half answer with the right section and a conclusion still earns marks; a blank earns none.

Citing cases and new criminal laws correctly

Use cases you are certain of. A wrong case name costs more than no case. For the new codes, cite the BNS, BNSS or BSA section first and the old section in brackets, because pending trials still run under the old laws and examiners want to see both.

Recent Supreme Court rulings add value when they fit. On written grounds of arrest, Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra (6 November 2025) is now the leading authority. On cruelty in live-in relationships, Dr Lokesh B.H. v. State of Karnataka (3 August 2026) is the latest. Learn a short list of such rulings rather than a long list you half remember. The Landmark Judgments Digest 2026, ₹199 lists 40 of them with the ratio set out.

Common mistakes in judiciary mains answers

• Writing a textbook essay in reply to a problem question.
• Giving only the old IPC number, or only the new one.
• Quoting a section’s words wrongly. Paraphrase when unsure.
• Ignoring procedure. In a problem, say which court has jurisdiction, whether the offence is cognizable and bailable, and what the first step is.
• No conclusion, or one that does not answer the question asked.
• Leaving language papers to the end. In many States English, Hindi or the local language paper is scored like a law paper.

A 30-day answer writing routine

1. Days 1 to 10: one theory answer a day from your State’s previous papers, untimed, checked against the bare Act.
2. Days 11 to 20: two answers a day, one problem, timed. Swap with a study partner and mark each other’s work on structure, sections and conclusion.
3. Days 21 to 30: one full paper every third day under exam time. Rewrite your two weakest answers each time.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write answers in judiciary mains?

Use a fixed structure: issue, law, cases, application and conclusion. Cite the new section with the old one in brackets, apply each fact to each ingredient and end with a direct answer. Practise under time limits from your State’s previous mains papers.

How long should a judiciary mains answer be?

Length should follow marks and time. Divide the paper’s minutes by its total marks and keep each answer within that share. A well-structured 2-page answer with correct sections usually scores better than a 5-page essay.

Should I write BNS or IPC sections in judiciary mains?

Write both. Give the BNS, BNSS or BSA section first and the old IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act section in brackets. Offences committed before 1 July 2024 are still tried under the old laws.

Are judiciary mains model answers useful?

Yes, if you use them to learn structure and then write your own answers. Read a model answer, close it, and write the same question in your own words under time.

Quick quiz

Sources

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, ss.80, 85, 86 (old IPC ss.304B, 498A)
• Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, s.118 (old Evidence Act s.113B)
• Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra (Supreme Court, 6 November 2025)
• Dr Lokesh B.H. v. State of Karnataka (Supreme Court, 3 August 2026)
• U.P. Judicial Service Rules, 2001 and Delhi Judicial Service scheme of examination, as summarised in Lexfolio’s State guides

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.