SHILLONG : The Meghalaya Government and the Bar Association will jointly review and improve the existing guidelines for the appointment and empanelment of government advocates following observations made by the High Court in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the matter.

Minister in-charge of Law Lahkmen Rymbui said this after chairing a meeting on Tuesday attended by representatives of the Bar Association, Advocate General, Commissioner Secretary of the Law Department and Joint Secretary of the Law Department.

The meeting was convened following observations by the High Court in a PIL challenging the guidelines issued by the government for the appointment and empanelment of advocates to represent the state in different courts within Meghalaya and across the country.

Rymbui said the High Court had suggested that the Bar Association, Advocate General and the state government should jointly discuss the matter under the chairmanship of the Law Minister and work towards finding a solution.

“There is an observation by the High Court on why not the Bar Association, the AG, and the government under the chairmanship of the Law Minister sit together and find a solution,” Rymbui said.

He said the meeting provided an opportunity for both the government and representatives of the legal fraternity to present their respective views on the existing guidelines.

“Today we sat and we have heard whatever, we have presented our case and we have heard also that the Bar Association have given their point of view,” he said.

Following the discussions, both sides reached an understanding that the Bar Association would submit detailed suggestions identifying areas where the existing guidelines could be improved.

Rymbui said the suggestions would help the government examine possible changes to the framework governing the appointment and empanelment of advocates in different courts.

“So we have come to an understanding with the Bar Association and the government that they will furnish us what are the details which can be improved in the guidelines formulated by the government for the appointment or empanelment of advocates in different courts of the state,” he said.

The Law Minister added that the government would convene another meeting after receiving the recommendations from the Bar Association to discuss the proposed improvements.

“So this is the meeting and the Bar Association, the members of the Bar, they will give us the suggestions and we will sit again after getting the points which need to be improved,” Rymbui said.