Rajasthan HC issues notice over appointment of SC judge's son as AAG

The Rajasthan High Court has issued a notice to the state government following a petition challenging the appointment of Padmesh Mishra as the Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Rajasthan at the Supreme Court.

Padmesh Mishra is the son of Supreme Court Justice PK Mishra, according to reports from LiveLaw.

The notice was issued by a bench led by Justice Anil Kumar Upman, who recently heard the petition.

The petitioner has argued that Padmesh Mishra's appointment as AAG violates the eligibility requirements outlined in the State Litigation Policy 2018.

Specifically, Section 14 of this policy mandates a minimum of five years of practice for eligibility as a panel lawyer at the Supreme Court, and ten years for the position of AAG. According to the petition, Padmesh Mishra has only five years of practice based on his enrolment number, making him ineligible for the AAG role.

The petition also claims that the Law Department amended the policy by introducing a new sub-section, 14.8, which grants authorities the power to appoint any counsel to any position based on their expertise, overriding the existing requirements.

Following this change, Padmesh Mishra was initially appointed as a Panel Lawyer at the Supreme Court on August 20. However, just three days later, the notification was withdrawn, and new notifications were issued on August 23 to change the policy and appoint him as AAG.

The petitioner has requested an immediate stay on Padmesh Mishra's appointment as AAG and the notification regarding the policy change.