Chandigarh January 15:
The functioning of the Punjab Advocate General's office has come under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with Justice LN Mittal asserting that Punjab has double the number of law officers as compared to the judges, and yet they do not appear during trial.
Asking the State to suggest appropriate remedial measures, Justice Mittal directed to send the copy of the order to the state Principal Secretary, Home. The absence of law officers during the hearing of the various cases had been pointed out by various judges of the High Court earlier also, with this seemingly be the last nail in the coffin. Being in controversy over the appointment of administrative committee in the absence of ailing Punjab Advocate General Hardev Singh Mattewal, Justice Mittal has virtually picked apart the AG office for the failure of its law officers to appear in cases.
Passing strictures, Justice Mittal categorically stated that the 'number of law officers in the state was double the strength of the judges. Yet, the officers were not appearing. Not only was this a cause inconvenience to the Court, also precious time was being wasted.' At present, Khosla is the in-charge of the state AG office, in the absence of Mattewal, who is not able to take active charge of his office due to his illness, following a severe heart-attack. Justice Mittal stated, "It has been observed that the law officers of the state of Punjab are not regularly appearing in their cases before this Bench, causing lot of inconvenience and wastage of precious time of the court."
The functioning of the Punjab Advocate General's office has come under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with Justice LN Mittal asserting that Punjab has double the number of law officers as compared to the judges, and yet they do not appear during trial.
Asking the State to suggest appropriate remedial measures, Justice Mittal directed to send the copy of the order to the state Principal Secretary, Home. The absence of law officers during the hearing of the various cases had been pointed out by various judges of the High Court earlier also, with this seemingly be the last nail in the coffin. Being in controversy over the appointment of administrative committee in the absence of ailing Punjab Advocate General Hardev Singh Mattewal, Justice Mittal has virtually picked apart the AG office for the failure of its law officers to appear in cases.
Passing strictures, Justice Mittal categorically stated that the 'number of law officers in the state was double the strength of the judges. Yet, the officers were not appearing. Not only was this a cause inconvenience to the Court, also precious time was being wasted.' At present, Khosla is the in-charge of the state AG office, in the absence of Mattewal, who is not able to take active charge of his office due to his illness, following a severe heart-attack. Justice Mittal stated, "It has been observed that the law officers of the state of Punjab are not regularly appearing in their cases before this Bench, causing lot of inconvenience and wastage of precious time of the court."
