MADURAI: Observing that good governance requires that funds from public exchequer are drawn on a measured basis and not given away capriciously to a favoured few, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court deprecated the practice of additional advocate generals appearing even in small matters where their presence were not really required, resulting in huge quantum of fee being paid to them.
“It is time an audit is undertaken regarding the payment of fees to the law officers,” the court said.
Justice GR Swaminathan made the observations while hearing a plea filed by P Thirumalai, former standing counsel for the Madurai city corporation seeking settlement of his pending fee by the corporation. The judge noted that AAGs appear even in small matters where their presence is not really required which even a novice of a government counsel could handle.
“While Courts cannot enquire into the quantum of fees paid to the senior counsel and AAGs, good governance requires that funds from public exchequer are drawn on a measured basis and not given away capriciously to a favoured few,” he observed.
“In order to appease various constituencies, the ruling governments appoint a needlessly high number of law officers. It is a matter of embarrassment that in the State of TN, there are close to dozen AAGs. When too many are appointed, necessarily each of them will have to be given work. That leads to allotment of matters that do not even require their services. At least in the Madurai Bench of Madras HC such practices will cease and the AAGs will turn a new leaf from 2026,” the judge said.
Thirumalai served as standing counsel for the corporation between 1992 and 2006 in Madurai district courts. He sought a direction to quash an order passed by the corporation in 2008, refusing to pay his pending fees despite an earlier direction by the court to consider his request. The corporation had to pay Rs 14.07 lakh but paid only Rs 1.02 lakh, Thirumalai claimed. In response, the corporation counsel stated the claim bill was not in order.