AG Venugopal’s term may be extended

Eminent lawyer and constitutional law expert KK Venugopal is likely to continue as Attorney General for India for another year. According to people aware of the matter, Venugopal, whose tenure is coming to an end on June 30, is set to receive another extension from the Union government.

This will be the third one-year term extension for Venugopal, 91, who was initially appointed as Attorney General on July 1, 2017. Venugopal, the 15th person to serve as Attorney General for India, had succeeded Mukul Rohatgi, who was the Attorney General from June 2014 to June 2017. The notification for reappointment of Venugopal for one year from July 1 is expected to be issued on Tuesday or Wednesday, the people cited above told HT. Venugopal said he would not wish to say anything regarding his reappointment at this stage and that people should wait for the notification. The Attorney General is the central government’s top law officer and chief legal advisor who represents the Government of India in crucial cases before the Supreme Court.

Venugopal is a doyen at the Bar and an internationally known jurist who has appeared in many landmark cases in the Supreme Court and different high courts. He started his law practice in 1954 at the Mysore high court.