Petition filed over alleged irregularities in AG Department state counsel recruitment

A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal, alleging irregularities in the recent recruitment process for state counsel positions at the Attorney General’s Department. The petition claims that names of selected candidates from the interview process were removed and replaced by persons with connections, compromising the integrity of the recruitment.

According to the petition, applications for the recruitment of 23 state counsels were invited between 29 December last year and 22 January this year, attracting 800 applicants. Out of these, 600 qualified candidates were shortlisted, while 200 applications were rejected.

The petitioners said the qualified candidates were called for a series of interviews spanning 30 days. After the interviews, 46 candidates were initially selected. However, the number of vacancies was subsequently increased by 38, raising the total to 78.

The petitioners have argued that, despite adhering to formal recruitment procedures, unqualified candidates were ultimately hired in place of those who were selected based on merit. They have requested the court to issue a writ prohibiting all appointments made, stating that the actions violated the principles of justice.

The petition has named 53 respondents, including the Attorney General, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, the former Attorney General, and the Solicitor General.