Allahabad HC reserves verdict on plea seeking guidelines for engaging state lawyers

Lucknow, Jul 6 (PTI) The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on a plea seeking transparent guidelines for engagement of state lawyers in the High Court. A bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajeev Bharti passed the order on a bunch of petitions. Earlier, Advocate General Ajay Mishra defended the present manner of engagement of state lawyers, but also conceded that the state government was ready to consider if any better suggestions came from the court. Mishra had stressed that the state government was like a client and hence, it was free to choose lawyers of its own choice. "There is Legal Remembrancer (LR) Manual to guide for engagements of state lawyers in the high court and further a three-member high-powered committee of which Advocate General, who is the chairman himself, is also there to scrutinise and suggest names of the lawyers across the bar to engage them as state lawyers. Hence, there has been no illegality in the process of engagement of the state lawyers since 2017, and the same process was also followed before 2017," argued Mishra. Citing several Supreme Court rulings, Mishra added that even the SC had held that it was the prerogative of the state to engage lawyers of its choice and designations. "The PILs have no basis and are liable to be dismissed," stressed Mishra. PTI COR NAV KSI KSI