Attorney General (AG) tenure extended

Subject :Polity

Section :Legislature

Context:

The Union government has extended the tenure of senior advocate KK Venugopal as the Attorney General (AG) for three more months.

Concept :

Article 76 of the Constitution of India provides for the office of the Attorney General for India.
He is the highest law officer in the country.

Appointment and Term of Attorney General of India

He is appointed by the president.
He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court.
It implies that he must be a citizen of India and he must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years or an eminent jurist.
The term of office of the AG is not fixed by the Constitution.
The Constitution does not contain the procedure and grounds for his removal.
He holds office during the pleasure of the president which means that he may be removed by the president at any time.
He resigns when the government (council of ministers) resigns or is replaced, as he is appointed on its advice.

Duties and Functions of Attorney General of India

To give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, which are referred to him by the president;
To perform such other duties of a legal character which are assigned to him by the president; and
To discharge the functions conferred on him by the Constitution or any other law

The president has assigned the following duties to the AG:

To appear on behalf of the Government of India in all cases in the Supreme Court in which the Government of India is concerned.
To represent the Government of India in any reference made by the president to the Supreme Court under Article 143 of the Constitution.