Historic appointment of 20 additional advocate generals in K'taka

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a significant milestone for the state's judiciary, the government has made an unprecedented move by appointing not one or two, but 20 additional Advocate Generals.

This marks a departure from the previous practice of appointing a smaller number of Advocate Generals. The newly-elected Congress government has set a new precedent in the appointment of advocate generals.

Among the appointed officials, 15 will serve in the Supreme Court while five will be assigned to the High Court. Several senior lawyers, who preferred to remain anonymous, have lauded this development.

The increased number of government petitions before the Supreme Court and High Court, along with delays in application disposal, necessitated the appointment of additional Advocate Generals.

This move is expected to expedite the resolution of litigations, ensuring swift justice for the public. Vivek Subba Reddy, a senior advocate and spokesperson for the BJP, expressed support for the appointment of 15 Advocate Generals, acknowledging its potential to enhance the efficiency of justice delivery and benefit litigants.

However, AP Ranganath, former president of the Bar Association and spokesperson for JD(S), raised concerns about the lack of Kannadigas among the appointed Advocate Generals in the Supreme Court.

Ranganath suggested that at least three out of the five individuals should have been Kannadigas. Meanwhile, some discontent has emerged within the legal wing of the Congress over the appointment of certain individuals.

Surya Mukundaraj, General Secretary of the Congress party's legal cell, voiced objections to the retention of lawyers from the previous government during the Congress regime.