Attorney General

Naief Khatri

The Attorney General of India is the Indian government’s chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. In India, the Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the Union Government.

Attorney General Roles

- The attorney general gives advice on all legal matters which may be referred or assigned to him by the President.
- He appears before the Supreme Court and various High Courts in cases involving the Government of India.
- He is entitled to audience in all courts of the country & can take part in the proceedings of the Parliament & its committees.
- He is also allowed to take up private practice provided the other party is not the State. Because of this, he is not paid salary but a retainer to be determined by the President.
- He is not given the right to vote.

Read: Solicitor General Career

Attorney General Eligibility Criteria

The president appoints a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court to be Attorney- General for India. To be qualified to be a Supreme Court judge, A person must be a citizen of India and

He/She has been for at least five years a Judge of as High Court or two or more than two such courts; or
He/She has been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of two or more than two such courts; or
He/She is, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.

Under normal conditions, the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court hold office till they attain the age of 65 years.

Read: Legal Advisor career