The Delhi High Court has brought the Attorney General of India under the ambit of Right to Information (RTI) Act, stating that the latter is not merely a lawyer for the government, but is a constitutional authority.
Reversing the decision of the Central Information Commission (CIC), Justice Vibhu Bakhru on Tuesday reportedly held that the office of the AG is a 'public authority' as per the Transparency Act.
The issue came to light when a petition challenging an order by the CIC was up for hearing before the single Bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru.
As per reports, Justice Bakhru stated that functions of AG are also in the nature of public functions and as required by the Constitution of India, adding that the office of the AG should be a public authority within the meaning of section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
Earlier in 2012, a full bench of CIC had ruled that the AG is only a person and can't be considered an "authority" under the Act.