The Defence Ministry has spent ₹26.12 crore in legal expenses for the year 2019-20 in litigation against military personnel in various courts and armed forces tribunals, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed Parliament on Monday.
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A total of Rs. 26,12,30,810 has been spent as legal expenses by the Army, Navy and the Air Force for the year 2019-20 (up to February, 2020), Mr. Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. “This includes payment of fee, remuneration, professional charges to advocates, law firms, arbitrators, conference, conveyance charges, clerkage, retainer fee, expenses incurred by Government counsel on drafting of special leave petition, counter affidavit, rejoinder, drawing written submission, drafting or appearance, preparation of suites, writ petitions and appeals, to name a few,” he stated, adding that payment of fee to counsel for various cases “is only a part of the legal expenditure.”
Mr. Singh also stated that fee bills of government counsels appearing in cases filed by or against the Army, Navy and the Air Force in the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court and lower courts in Delhi jurisdiction were being paid through the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Asked if the government had been making excessive litigations against military personnel, Mr. Singh replied that it wasn't so. Appeals were filed before the appellate court and the Supreme Court against the impugned judgments of the lower courts only after case to case examination in detail and subsequent to obtaining the opinion of Legal Advisor (Defence) and Law Officers, Solicitor General of India, Additional Solicitor General of India and Ministry of Law and Justice.
