Appoint special officer to look into govt advocates fee issues: MHC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to appoint a special officer to issue a government order to decide over the fee requests and outstanding arrears for the government advocates and pleaders.

A division bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) comprising Justice R Suresh Kumar and K Kumaresh Babu heard the appeal petition filed by the State challenging a single-judge order regarding fee requests of government advocates and pleaders.

Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram for the State, said that outstanding fees for the former Additional Advocate General (AAG) S Ramasamy had been paid. Further, he also said that his office had sent a letter to the Chief Secretary in this regard.

A specific department should be appointed to receive, and examine the request for legal fees, he added in his letter. He contended that a report on fee arrears should be prepared and sent to the concerned advocates once in three months.

After the submission the bench directed the State to appoint a special officer to carry out the fee procedures for the government advocates and an officer should be appointed to consider the fee requests of the advocates. The bench also observed that the fees should be paid within 30 days of the completion of consideration by the officer and disposed of the case.

In 2011 the former AAG Ramasamy moved the MHC seeking to direct the State to pay the outstanding fee to him for his service from 2006 to 2011.

The single judge directed the State to pay the arrears within two weeks. However, the State moved an appeal challenging this order.