Six Senior Advocates Appointed as ASGs in the Supreme Court

The Government has appointed six senior advocates as Additional Solicitors General (ASGs) in the Supreme Court. The appointees include:

• S. Dwarakanath
• Archana Pathak Dave
• Satya Darshi Sanjay
• Brijender Chahar
• Raghavendra P Shankar
• Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare

ASGs assist the Attorney General and Solicitor General in representing the government in courts. Their term is three years, effective from September 9, 2024.

Solicitor General of India (SGI) - Key Points

Position:

Second highest law officer in India, after the Attorney General.

Role:

• Assists the Attorney General
• Advises the Union Government
• Represents the government in the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Nature of Post:

Statutory, not constitutional (not mentioned in the Constitution).

Headquarters of SGI:

• SGI Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Additional Solicitors General (ASG) Headquarters: New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, or Allahabad (as specified by the Government).

Appointment of SGI:

The Solicitor General is appointed by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.

Term of SGI:

Term: 3 years; eligible for re-appointment for a further term not exceeding 3 years.

Duties of SGI:

• Legal Advice: Provides advice to the Government of India on legal matters.
• Court Representation: Appears on behalf of the Government in the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Special Functions: Represents Government in President’s references to the Supreme Court (Article 143).

Limitations of SGI:

• No private briefs: Cannot hold briefs for any party except specified government institutions.
• No advising against the government: Cannot advise against the Government of India or Public Sector Undertakings.
• No criminal defense: Cannot defend accused in criminal cases without government permission.
• No external appointments: Cannot accept other appointments without government permission.
• Advice via Ministry: Can advise only through the Ministry of Law and Justice.