Let merit be the criterion\'

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday observed that the appointment of public prosecutors/district government pleaders should be made on the basis of their qualification, reputation, character and not on the basis of their political philosophy.

Justice V. Ramkumar made the observation while allowing Harish Kumar of Thalassery to engage a private lawyer in a case relating to the murder of his brother. The court said that merit alone should be uppermost in the mind of the Sessions Judges while recommending names for inclusion in the panel. The role of District Magistrate was only to include those names in the panel and forward it to the government. Now, if the names were not to the liking of the party-in-power, the panel was returned by the government or the District Magistrate with a request to send fresh names