AJK law officers barred from defending officials in contempt cases

In a major move aimed at curbing the misuse of state resources, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Thursday barred the top law officers of the state from defending public servants facing contempt of court proceedings.

According to a circular issued by order of Acting Chief Justice Syed Shahid Bahar, government counsel—including the Advocate General, Additional Advocate General, Assistant Advocate General, and other state law officers—will no longer be permitted to appear or argue on behalf of alleged contemnors.

Legal observers said the directives was aimed at curbing a deep-rooted bureaucratic culture where state-funded legal teams were routinely deployed to shield delinquent public officials from judicial accountability.

The new rules, which apply immediately to all pending and fresh contempt cases across the High Court, also fundamentally tighten the requirements for personal appearance. Under the fresh directives, any official accused of contempt must appear in person on the very first date of the hearing.

Furthermore, the circular mandated that the contemnor would remain bound to attend every single subsequent hearing in person. The physical attendance requirement would only be waived if the High Court explicitly granted an exemption to the accused along with permission to be represented by a privately retained counsel.

The High Court registry directed all institutional branches, judicial officers, and state law officers to ensure strict and immediate compliance with the new regime.

Tariq Naqash