Can someone be appointed directly to a high court without prior experience as a judge?

Yes, it is possible for an individual to be appointed or elected to a high court without prior experience as a judge.

In many common-law countries, there is no mandatory pattern of promotion within the judiciary. Consequently, a person may be appointed directly to an intermediate or highest court based on their background in the private practice of law, government legal service, or legal teaching. In the United States, for example, prior courtroom experience is not a formal prerequisite for a federal judgeship.12

Similarly, in the Supreme Court of India, while seniority norms typically favor high court judges, the law allows for the appointment of distinguished jurists or advocates who have practiced at high courts for at least 10 years. Notably, some advocates have been elevated directly from the bar to the Supreme Court of India without ever having served as a high court judge.3