107 Govt Pleaders move HC to expunge judge's remarks

Peeved by the remarks of a sitting judge against them, 107 Government Pleaders (GPs) of Kerala High Court today demanded that the remarks be expunged and the order against their conduct and appointments be recalled.
The GPs, in a combined petition, contended that in the absence of any official record or evidence to arrive at a conclusion, the court was not justified in making sweeping generalisation and accusations against the government pleaders as a class by itself.
Justice Harun AL-Rashid had on September 6 observed that government needs to give proper attention in the matter of handling cases in the high court and had stressed that professional hands with experience should be selected as Government Pleaders and Public Prosecutors rather than political and other considerations.

"Our experience and facts reveal that professional hands with experience in conducting cases in the high court are not preferred in the selection of government pleaders and majority are selected out of political and other considerations," he had said.
The judge made the observations while considering a petition to condone delay of 451 days in filing an appeal against acquittal of two accused in a spirit trafficking case at Quilandy in 2008.
The court had observed that there were 138 GPs and Public Prosectuors in the high court, despite which matters were not prosecuted in a proper manner and on time.