The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken notice of the severe deficiency of assistant district attorneys in Sirsa district, Haryana, raising concerns about the ability to maintain effective judicial operations under such conditions. On Monday, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu highlighted the government’s failure to appoint an adequate number of legal officers and instructed both Punjab and Haryana to provide affidavits outlining the situation on a district-by-district basis.

The court pointed out that there are currently 22 courts functioning in Sirsa, yet only 12 government attorneys have been appointed to serve. Notably, two of these lawyers are stationed in Ambala, leaving only 10 attorneys to manage the workload—an arrangement the court deemed grossly insufficient.

Additionally, the court remarked on the disproportionate allocation of legal officers, indicating that while a significant number are assigned to the Advocate General’s office, the presence of officers at the district level is lacking. The bench noted that merely 20 to 25 percent of the officers seem to be managing the majority of the responsibilities, raising issues about the effective use of resources.

The court has mandated that the Chief Secretary of Haryana submit a comprehensive affidavit that addresses the shortage and explains the lack of adequate law officer appointments in the districts. It also acknowledged similar issues in various districts across Punjab.

In a move to broaden the case, the court has included Punjab as a party and requested replies from both states. The Chief Secretaries are required to present district-specific data regarding the availability of legal officers.

The bench underscored that this issue has a direct bearing on the justice delivery system, emphasizing that the lack of legal officers leads to delays in hearings and affects the timely administration of justice. The case is scheduled for a follow-up hearing in 15 days.