Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday, 8 August announced a hike in retainership, appearance, drafting, and opinion fees for law officers representing the state government in the Rajasthan High Court. The move, aimed at bolstering the state's legal machinery, was declared at an interactive session with public prosecutors and law officers held at the Chief Minister's official residence in Jaipur.

Key Announcements

Sharma stated that Additional Advocates General will now be assigned divisional-level responsibilities to enable regular interaction with law officers and resolve work-related issues more efficiently. He also directed officials to identify cases involving public interest across every district and department, prepare consolidated lists, and ensure regular monitoring for speedier disposal — noting that prolonged court cases inflate project costs and delay implementation.

The Chief Minister underscored that this is not the first such revision: the state government has previously increased the remuneration of law officers appointed to the Supreme Court, High Court, and subordinate courts on two earlier occasions.

Judicial Infrastructure Strengthened

Sharma outlined the scale of judicial infrastructure already put in place under the current administration. The state has established 14 District and Sessions Courts, 2 Additional District and Sessions Courts, 8 Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Courts, and 8 Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Courts. Special courts have also been set up for cases relating to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), POCSO, the N.I. Act, NDPS, and commercial disputes.

On the appointments front, 10 Additional Advocates General, 9 Additional Government Counsels, and 2 Special Public Prosecutors have been inducted into the Rajasthan High Court. Additionally, 40 new ministerial posts have been created for the offices of the new Additional Advocates General, alongside 76 new posts for Public Prosecutors, Special Public Prosecutors, and Additional Public Prosecutors, 109 ministerial posts in subordinate offices, and 77 posts for Home Guards.

Access to Justice: The Numbers

Sharma highlighted several welfare metrics during the session. Under the Prisoner and Child Protection Scheme, legal aid has been extended to 27,251 individuals. The Rajasthan Victim Compensation Scheme has disbursed ₹84.53 crore in compensation to 3,905 victims. Furthermore, 1.20 lakh legal literacy camps have been organised, benefiting 76.67 lakh people across the state.

What the Government Said

Sharma emphasised that effective law and order and accessible justice build public confidence in governance. He described public prosecutors as a 'crucial link' in the judicial process, responsible not only for representing the state in courts but also for ensuring justice reaches the most marginalised sections of society. He urged prosecutors to maintain a balance between legal requirements and human empathy, and called for regular seminars so that junior prosecutors can benefit from the experience of senior advocates.

Law and Legal Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel also addressed the gathering, stressing the importance of stronger coordination among law officers, prosecutors, and government departments, and commending the administration's efforts to improve judicial infrastructure and professional remuneration.

What Comes Next

Efforts are reportedly underway to establish dedicated offices for public prosecutors and equip them with computers and support staff to enhance operational efficiency. With fee revisions now formalised and new posts created, the Rajasthan government's next challenge will be ensuring these structural changes translate into faster case resolution and measurable improvements in access to justice.