On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court voiced serious concerns over the absence of West Bengal government lawyers in hearings, particularly in cases not considered politically sensitive. The remarks came during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing concerning the plight of tiger attack victims in the Sundarbans.
Chief Justice T.S. Shivagnanam, presiding over the case, highlighted the absence of state representation despite prior directives for the government lawyer to be present. “No government lawyer promptly appears in cases unless they are politically sensitive,” remarked Chief Justice Shivagnanam, pointing out the apparent lack of responsiveness from the state’s legal team.
The Chief Justice also questioned the process through which the state government assigns lawyers to cases, describing the situation as “very unfortunate.” He emphasized the inconvenience caused by repeatedly having to inquire about the state’s representation in various cases. “Imagine the plight of other courts if this is the situation in Court No. 1 (Chief Justice’s court),” he stated, underscoring the need for proper allocation of cases to state lawyers.
Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, present during the proceedings, expressed regret over the failure to comply with an order issued on May 9, which mandated the state ensure representation in the case. “Despite the order passed on May 9, no one appeared on behalf of the state,” the bench noted.
During the hearing, Mohammad Ghalib, a West Bengal government lawyer present in court but not involved in the PIL, offered an unconditional apology on behalf of the state. He was instructed to inform the office of the government lawyer to take corrective measures to ensure proper representation in future cases.
