STATE OF U.P. vs JOHRI MAL — C.A. No. 963 - 964/2000

Case Summary: STATE OF U.P. v. JOHRI MAL (C.A. 963-964/2000) Decision: The Supreme Court set aside the Allahabad High Court's judgment directing renewal of Johri Mal's term as District Government Counsel (Criminal). The Court held that while the High Court erred in mandating a collegium for appointments, the State's decision not to renew his tenure based on administrative deficiencies and lack of control over subordinate counsel was justified and not arbitrary. Key Reasoning: Public Prosecutors and District Government Counsel hold professional positions—not civil service posts—making them subject to limited judicial review. Though appointments involve public functions, they remain discretionary unless the State breaches statutory procedure or acts arbitrarily. The Court emphasized that consultation with the District Judge is important but not binding like a collegium system, and the State may decline renewal when performance is unsatisfactory. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.