CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to appoint a liaison officer, in the rank of a secretary or additional secretary, to coordinate with the advocate general (AG), additional AGs and other law officers regarding their engagement in government departments-related cases in the court.
“A nodal officer in the rank of secretary or additional secretary of the state government shall be specifically nominated for the purpose of dealing with the requests made by various departments for the nomination of AG and additional AGs for appearance in important cases by or against the state government and its departments,” ordered the division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and K Kumaresh Babu on Tuesday.
The bench also directed the nodal officer to consider and look after professional fee claims made by various law officers and clear them within 30 days. The judges also directed the state to accept the suggestions made by AG R Shunmugasundaram regarding the engagement of senior law officers and processing their professional fee bills.
The directions were issued on an appeal filed by the state government against a single judge’s order on payment of professional fees to senior advocate S Ramasamy who had served as additional AG during 2006-11.