Tahir Sidiq Gujri has contributed to the following story.
In a recent development, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Department of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, has issued an order outlining the allocation of departments among the Law Officers in the Srinagar Wing of the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This order, Government Order No. 6696-JK(LD) of 2023, supersedes all previous orders on the subject.
The distribution of litigation work among the Law Officers is aimed at ensuring effective handling of cases and streamlining the legal process in the Srinagar Wing. Each Law Officer has been assigned specific departments for their legal representation. The allocation is as follows:
1. Home Department
2. General Administration Department
3. J&K Crime Branch
4. All Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Appeals
5. Anti Corruption Bureau
6. Forest Department
7. School Education Department
8. Revenue Department (Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla Districts)
9. Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools
10. All other specially assigned class of cases
Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin-UI-Showkat Qadri has been allocated the Home Department. Additional Advocate General Satinder Singh Kala will handle the General Administration Department, while Additional Advocate General Alla-Ud-Din Ganai has been assigned the J&K Crime Branch. Deputy Advocate Generals Mohammad Rais ud Din Ganaie and Mubashir Majid Malik will represent the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Appeals and the Anti Corruption Bureau, respectively.
The order further specifies the allocation of departments to various Law Officers, including the departments of Labour and Employment, Civil Aviation, Power Development, Rural Development, Social Welfare, and many others.
Additionally, the order designates Government Advocates and Deputy Advocate Generals for departments such as Tourism, Health and Medical Education, Agriculture Production, Information Technology, and more.
The Government has emphasized that any department or corporation not specifically assigned to a Law Officer will remain the responsibility of the Learned Advocate General, J&K. Furthermore, Mr. Sajad Ashraf, Mr. Illyas Nazir Laway, and Mr. Faheem Nisar Shah, Government Advocates, will assist the Learned Advocate General in arbitration matters and other important cases as directed.
The Finance Department, including the Financial Corporation, Planning Development, and Monitoring Department, will continue to be handled by the Learned Advocate General, J&K.
It is noteworthy that the allocation of departments is subject to the satisfactory performance of the Law Officers, which will be reviewed periodically.
The order has been communicated to the Learned Advocate General, J&K, as well as other concerned authorities, including Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries, the Director General of Police, and the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, among others.
This move by the Government aims to streamline legal representation, improve efficiency, and ensure effective governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
