Lok Sabha Question No. 4225 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-20
Subject: Empanelment of the Government Advocates
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4225

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 20 th  December, 2024 Empanelment of the Government Advocates

4225. Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary :

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of empanelled advocate posts across the country and the number of the said posts that are currently vacant, State-wise;
- (b) the  number  of  advocate  posts  empanelled  under  the  Central  Government  and the number of said posts that are currently vacant;
- (c) the  steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to fill up the existing vacancies  of  empanelled  advocates  and  ensure  efficient  legal  representation; and
- (d) the details of any specific guidelines or criteria established for the empanelment of advocates under the Central Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) & (b):  The Department of Legal Affairs empanels Advocates for various Courts/ Tribunals  in  the  country  generally  for  a  period  of  three  years  or  until further orders, whichever is earlier. There are several categories in which the Department of Legal Affairs empanels Advocates and such empanelled  Advocates  are  collectively  called  as  'Panel  Counsel'  for Union  of  India.  Panel  Counsels  are  not  appointed  against  a  civil  post. They  are  paid  professional  fee  on  case  to  case  basis  and  monthly retainer  fee  (applicable  to  a  few  categories  of  panel  counsel)  in  lieu  of their  services  as  per  the  applicable  fee  structure  of  the  Department  of Legal Affairs.

In light of the above description, the concept of sanctioned strength is not applicable in case of 'Panel Counsel'. However, Advocates are empaneled  for  various  Courts/Tribunals  by  the  Department  of  Legal

Affairs  in  numbers  as  required  from  time  to  time  to  conduct  Central Government litigation in various Courts/Tribunals.

The State-wise chart of present strength of Panel Counsel is annexed at Annexure .

- (c): In view of reply to part (a) and (b) above, does not arise.
- (d): As  per  extant  procedure,  an  Advocate  who  is  enrolled  with  Bar  Council and  suitable  with  regard  to  his/her  qualification,  experience,  reputation, expertise, professional competence and standing at Bar, is empanelled for conducting Central Government litigation before various Courts/Tribunals.

## The State-wise list of Panel Counsel of Department of Legal Affairs

## before various Courts / Tribunals

| S.No.   | Name of State / UT                 | Total number of Panel Counsels   |
|---------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1.      | Andaman & Nicobar                  | 13                               |
| 3.      | Andhra Pradesh                     | 40                               |
| 4.      | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 11                               |
| 5.      | Assam                              | 49                               |
| 6.      | Bihar                              | 147                              |
| 7.      | Chandigarh                         | 336                              |
| 8.      | Chattisgarh                        | 37                               |
| 9.      | Dadra Nagar Haveli                 | 0                                |
| 10.     | Daman & Diu                        | 0                                |
| 11.     | Delhi                              | 2322                             |
|         | (including Supreme Court of India) |                                  |
| 12.     | Goa                                | 4                                |
| 13.     | Gujarat                            | 34                               |
| 14.     | Haryana                            | 81                               |
| 15.     | Himachal Pradesh                   | 77                               |
| 16.     | Jammu & Kashmir                    | 88                               |
| 17.     | Jharkhand                          | 100                              |
| 18.     | Karnataka                          | 227                              |
| 19.     | Kerala                             | 293                              |
| 2.      | Ladakh                             | 1                                |
| 20.     | Lakshadeep                         | 6                                |
| 21.     | Madhya Pradesh                     | 184                              |
| 22.     | Maharashtra                        | 460                              |
| 23.     | Manipur                            | 19                               |
| 24.     | Meghalaya                          | 3                                |
| 25.     | Mizoram                            | 1                                |
| 26.     | Nagaland                           | 5                                |
| 27.     | Odisha                             | 194                              |
| 28.     | Puducherry                         | 0                                |
| 29.     | Punjab                             | 87                               |
| 30.     | Rajasthan                          | 434                              |
| 31.     | Sikkim                             | 2                                |
| 32.     | Tamil Nadu                         | 330                              |
| 33.     | Telengana                          | 216                              |
| 34.     | Tripura                            | 57                               |
| 36.     | Uttar Pradesh                      | 731                              |
| 35.     | Uttarakhand                        | 39                               |
| 37.     | West Bengal                        | 683                              |
|         | Total                              | 7311                             |

Note: Apart from above, a total of 267 Advocates are empaneled by the Central Board of  Direct  Taxes  as  Standing Counsel, across the country, for conducting Income Tax matters before various judicial forums.