SC for reforms in appointment of law officers

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked all the states to adopt fair, transparent and objective criteria for appointment of law officers, while framing guidelines to such appointments for lawyers in Haryana and Punjab on the basis of merit and not for “political aggrandisement and appeasement”.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph noted that there was neither any procedure nor guidelines to regulate appointment of the law officers other than the advocate general. Hence, it is high time to call a halt to this process, the bench added.

Disposing of a clutch of petitions challenging appointment of law officers’ including assistant and additional advocate generals in Punjab and Haryana, the court directed for setting up a search committee to make recommendations for a panel of names to the chief justice of the high court, who after consulting the other judges, shall revert with his views. The state government can subsequently make appointments, it said.