Attorney General of India - UPSC Current Affairs

The Attorney General of India is the highest legal officer of the country, appointed by the President on the advice of the government. They advise the Union Government on legal matters referred to them by the President and represent the government in the Supreme Court. The term is not fixed, and there are limitations on the AG's duties to prevent conflicts of interest. The current Attorney General is R. Venkataramani who took office on October 1, 2022.

Jan 13, 2023

3 min read

The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country, as designated by Article 76 of the Constitution. As the chief legal advisor to the Government of India, the Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advice on all matters referred to them by the President, as well as representing the Union Government in the Supreme Court of India.

The Attorney General is appointed by the President of India, on the advice of the government. To be eligible for the role, the candidate must be an Indian citizen, have either served as a judge in a high court for five years or as an advocate for ten years, or be considered an eminent jurist by the President.

The term of the Attorney General's office is not fixed, with no specified tenure outlined in the Constitution. The President has the power to remove the Attorney General at any time, and the Attorney General can resign at any point by submitting their resignation to the President.

The role of the Attorney General includes providing legal advice to the Union Government on matters referred to them by the President, representing the Union Government in any legal case where the government is a party, and appearing in the Supreme Court on behalf of the government in any reference made by the President under Article 143 of the Constitution. The Attorney General may also appear in high courts in cases related to the Government of India.

There are certain limitations placed on the Attorney General to prevent conflicts of interest, such as not being able to advise or hold a brief against the Government of India, not being able to advise or hold a brief in cases in which he is called upon to advise or appear for the Government of India, not being able to defend accused persons in criminal prosecutions without permission from the Government of India, and not being able to accept appointment as a director in any company or corporation without permission from the Government of India.

It's important to note that unlike the Attorney General of the United States, the Attorney General of India has no executive authority and those functions are performed by the Law Minister of India. The Attorney General is also not a government servant and is not debarred from private legal practice. The Attorney General can accept briefs but cannot appear against the Government and also cannot defend an accused in criminal proceedings without permission from the Government.

The current Attorney General is R. Venkataramani, who succeeded to the office on October 1, 2022.