Govt to appoint 2,000 law officers thru’ PSC

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The newly established Government Attorney Department has taken initiatives to recruit about 2,000 law officers for conducting cases in the courts including the apex court on behalf of the state.

This is the first time in the country’s history that law officers are going to be recruited through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The attorney department has earlier been set up under the Government Attorney Service Ordinance, 2008 for dealing with cases in courts and performing other duties on behalf of the state.

The department has recently put forward a proposal of recruiting 197 law officers (attorneys) for the Supreme Court and 1,799 others for the subordinate courts to be approved by the ministries concerned.

Sources say the department has proposed to appoint five additional attorney generals, 96 deputy attorney generals and 96 assistant attorney generals for the SC and 79 district attorneys, 280 additional district attorneys, 480 joint district attorneys and 960 assistant district attorneys for the district courts.

Most of the existing attorneys would lose their jobs once the recruitment is completed, the sources add.

Two SC lawyers yesterday jointly filed a writ with the High Court challenging legality of the Ordinance.

They stated in the petition that the president cannot promulgate such an Ordinance during the caretaker government tenure since there was no urgent circumstance.

Attorney Department Director General (DG) Md Israil Hossain on Tuesday told The Daily Star the recruitment would be done by PSC and the lawyers including the existing law officers under 57 are eligible to apply.

“Those who will not pass the examinations would not be recruited. The recruitment will be made under the concerned rules and regulations. Meritorious, competent and honest attorneys will be appointed in order to establish justice and rule of law in the country.”

Once the proposal is approved, the attorney department would ask PSC to take steps to start recruitment process, he added.

In reply to a question, the DG ruled out any possibility of misunderstanding or conflict between the Attorney General’s Office and the attorney department saying the department will function in accordance with the law.

“The existing attorneys who are now serving under the attorney general [AG] can continue their service as per the existing rules. The attorney department will not interfere in their service.”

He said as per the provisions of the Ordinance, existing attorneys can continue their jobs until new law officers succeed them.

Israil said the department would recruit the law officers with transparency, neutrality and responsibility, as the Judicial Service Commission has recently appointed about 400 judges for subordinate judiciary and all sections have appreciated those appointments.

The SC law officers are protesting against the Ordinance and the Government Attorney Department from the beginning in May this year.

They mainly object to some “discriminatory” provisions in the Ordinance including a system of two bosses for the law officers — the AG and the DG.

“If those provisions are implemented, the existing attorneys will lose their jobs within two years. It’s a blow to our honour and dignity, since we’ve come to serve the state for five years leaving our independent practice and seniors’ chambers,” an attorney said.

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