It is time an audit was undertaken regarding the payment of fees to the law officers. While courts cannot inquire into the quantum of fees paid to the senior counsel and Additional Advocate Generals, good governance requires that funds from public exchequer are drawn on a measured basis and not given away capriciously to a favoured few, Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) has observed.
The judge said, “I cannot help wondering at the scandalously high amounts paid to some of the law officers and the senior counsel by the government and quasi government institutions including local bodies.
Citing an instance, the judge noted that the Madurai Kamaraj University is in financial doldrums. The university which is pleading that its financial situation is such that it is unable to pay the dues of its retired staff has no difficulty in paying exorbitant fees to its counsel.
Additional Advocate Generals appear even in small matters where their presence is not really required which even a novice of a government counsel could handle. All this for a few pennies. Marking appearance is a matter of money, the judge said.
In order to appease various constituencies, the ruling governments appoint needlessly high number of law officers. It is a matter of embarrassment that in the State of Tamil Nadu, there are close to dozen Additional Advocate Generals. When I entered the bar in 1991, we had only Advocate General. There was no Additional Advocate General at all, the judge said.
