NEW DELHI: Taking note of observations that no advocate from the Scheduled Tribes has been appointed as a government lawyer in the Madhya Pradesh high court and representation of scheduled castes and OBCs is also very low, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the state’s attorney general to ensure representation of marginalized communities and women.“How can they show up if they are not given a chance?” a bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said while hearing a petition seeking reservation from advocates of the OBC community in the appointment of government pleaders in Parliament. The court said that while the stay order could not be passed, the issue should be brought to the attention of the state attorney general for remedial action.Advocate Varun Thakur, appearing for the petitioner, said that since Independence, not a single ST lawyer has been selected as a government lawyer and only a token number of SC candidates have been appointed. Among more than 100 appointed lawyers, there is only one female lawyer. He said the lack of such representation in the attorney general’s office had long-term consequences for the legal profession, as government legal officers were often considered for promotion to judges.“The people we represent are not represented,” Thakur said.Lawyers appearing for the state assured the judge that those concerns would be communicated to the attorney general.
