HC quashes UP govt's rejection of renewal of BSP-era counsels

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court today quashed the rejection of renewal orders of the 791 district government counsels by the state and directed it to reconsider their cases within three months in accordance with law.
A division bench of Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Arvind Kumar Tripathi gave the judgement while allowing a bunch of writ petitions related to the matter.
These government counsels posted in districts courts were appointed during the erstwhile BSP regime, and the present SP government refused to renew their contract.
The court directed the government to reconsider the case with regard to renewal or appointment within three months and submit a compliance report. It further directed the government to establish the Directorate of Prosecution in accordance with section 25 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The appointment of the Director of Prosecution must be in concurrence with the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, it said.
The court also asked district judges and magistrates to ensure forthwith that "no person having criminal antecedent or against whom FIR had been lodged, involving moral turpitude, are permitted to work as district government counsel".
The court said that the government shall cancel all such appointments in view of direction issued in earlier judgements within a month.
It directed that a copy of the judgement be forwarded to the chief secretary and the principal secretary of law within a week for compliance.