New Service Point System for Judicial Appointments
Official titleDecision No. 1152 dated 16/09/2026 of the General Assembly of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors
The Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has adopted a decision determining the service point system to be applied in the transfer appointments of judges and public prosecutors, as well as the operating principles relating thereto.
Details of the Regulation
It has been decided, through Decision No. 1152 dated 16.09.2026 of the General Assembly of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, to transition to a new system based on the service points forming the basis for appointments in the transfer of judges and public prosecutors. This decision constitutes a major reform in existing appointment procedures. Under the new system, service points will be calculated by multiplying the number of days of actual service performed in each place of assignment by the location-specific coefficient and adding the resulting points. Indicators of merit and professional suitability arising from promotion, inspection results, and disciplinary provisions will also be reflected in the scoring.
Factors such as the preference status of the place of assignment, workload density, geographical and economic conditions, healthcare, social, and cultural opportunities, transportation facilities, and level of development will be taken into account in determining location coefficients, and the coefficients will be updated at specified intervals. Different principles will apply to the calculation of points for temporary assignments and persons holding administrative positions at the HSK, the Ministry of Justice, or high courts. Unpaid leave and prolonged medical reports, among other circumstances, will not be included in calculating actual service; only periods actually spent in the profession will be taken into account.
Although point ranking will be the principal criterion in appointments, appointments made by lottery or on grounds of compelling personal circumstances, as well as appointments to public prosecutor or investigating judge positions at the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) and Council of State (Danıştay), to Regional Courts of Justice and Administrative Courts, and to chief public prosecutor and court president positions, will be exempt from the point-ranking requirement. Appointments made due to disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or epidemics, or because of mandatory service requirements, will also fall within this exemption. Judges and public prosecutors will be able to access their personal service points and related data through the system and request correction in the event of material errors. Once the necessary technical and administrative infrastructure for this point system has been established, implementation is expected to begin together with the 2027 Annual Decree.
Questions You Might Have
- How will the new service point system affect the appointment of judges and public prosecutors?
- The system will base appointments on more objective criteria, particularly the service point ranking, and thus aim to increase transparency and merit in appointment processes by superseding existing subjective assessments.
- Which special circumstances will be exempt from the point-ranking requirement?
- Appointments by lottery or on grounds of compelling personal circumstances, appointments to high judicial bodies and regional courts, appointments to chief public prosecutor positions, and appointments made due to disasters or emergencies will be exempt from the point-ranking requirement.
- How can judges and public prosecutors access their service point information and challenge it?
- Judges and public prosecutors will be able to access their personal service points and the data used as the basis for calculation through the system, and may request corrections for material errors or missing records within specified procedures and time limits.
Key Terms
- Hizmet Puanı Sistemi
- An evaluation mechanism used in appointment and transfer processes, under which judges and public prosecutors accumulate points based on certain criteria, including their length of service and the characteristics of the places where they serve.
- Mahal Katsayısı
- A multiplier value determined according to the characteristics of a populated locality, such as its workload density, geographical location, and social opportunities, and used in calculating service points.
- Yer Değiştirme Suretiyle Atama
- The procedure for appointing a judge or public prosecutor from one place of assignment to another.
- Ana Kararname
- A decree generally issued annually by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors that collectively regulates numerous transactions involving judges and public prosecutors, including appointments, transfers, and promotions.
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REGAS Commentary
This decision constitutes an important administrative regulation that will fundamentally change the career progression and assignment processes of all judges and public prosecutors in Türkiye. The new system aims to establish a more transparent, objective, and merit-based structure in appointments. For members of the judiciary, this marks the beginning of a new era in terms of preferences for places of work and career planning, while it may indirectly lead to improvements in the quality and accessibility of judicial services for citizens. In particular, elements such as the “location coefficient” will contribute to the fair assessment of working conditions in different regions.