J&K govt warns its lawyers of action for non-appearance

The Jammu and Kashmir law department has warned senior government lawyers of disciplinary action, including cancellation of appointment, for their non-apperance in courts to represent the state government.
In a circular, law department secretary Abdul Majid Bhat said the government has taken a serious note of the "persistent" non-appearance of the senior lawyers.
"To overcome the practice of persistent non-appearance in courts and seeking unnecessary adjournments, the Sr Additional AGs, AAGs, Dy AGs and Government Advocates are impressed upon to ensure their obligatory appearance in the cases that are assigned to them, failing which the matter will be viewed seriously by the Law Department including forfeiting/ cancellation of their appointments," the circular said.

It said the J&K High Court in its orders last year has observed that Sr AAGs, AAGS, Dy AGs and government advocates were not filing the 'Memo of Appearance' and are seeking unnecessary adjournments.
"The high court has taken it seriously and ordered that all Sr AAGS, AAGS, Dy AGs and the Government Advocates, appearing on behalf of the state or the department concerned, shall file their 'Memo of Appearance' in particular cases that are assigned to them, as a condition precedent," the circular said.