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HC flags acute shortage of law officers, seeks affidavits from Punjab and Haryana
Shortfall in district postings raises concerns over delays in justice delivery; Chief Secretaries asked to explain gaps
The court noted that 22 courts are operational in Sirsa, while only 12 government lawyers have been appointed. (File)
Taking suo motu cognisance of the acute shortage of assistant district attorneys in Haryana’s Sirsa district, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday questioned how judicial work could function smoothly in such circumstances.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu observed that the government was not appointing a sufficient number of law officers and directed the states of Punjab and Haryana to furnish affidavits detailing the district-wise position.
The court noted that 22 courts are operational in Sirsa, while only 12 government lawyers have been appointed. Of these, two are posted in Ambala, leaving effectively 10 officers to handle the workload, which the court termed grossly inadequate.
It further observed that while a large number of officers are posted in the Advocate General’s office, district-level postings remain weak. The bench remarked that only 20–25 per cent of officers appear to be handling the bulk of the work, raising concerns over resource utilisation.
The bench directed the Haryana Chief Secretary to file a detailed affidavit explaining the shortfall and the reasons for not appointing adequate law officers in districts. It also took note of a similar situation in several districts of Punjab.
Expanding the scope of the case, the court impleaded Punjab as a party and sought responses from both states. The Chief Secretaries have been asked to submit district-wise data on the availability of law officers.
The court observed that the issue directly impacts the administration of justice, noting that the shortage of law officers delays hearings and hampers timely delivery of justice. The matter has been listed for hearing after 15 days.
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