Kohima: Nagaland state law officers fired back at the Nagaland Bar Association on Tuesday. Additional Advocate Generals and Government Panel Advocates from the Gauhati High Court's principal seat and the Kohima bench rejected the association's push to fire Advocate General K N Balgopal. The group labeled the demand unconstitutional.
The association previously urged Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio to sack Balgopal. They want a local lawyer to take the job. The law officers hit back hard. "The appointment of the Advocate General of a State is made under Article 165 of the Constitution of India, and the appointment, removal or termination is entirely the prerogative of the State Government," the group said in a statement.
Tensions flared over a directive from the Bar Association. The body ordered panel advocates to stop assisting Balgopal during court appearances. The law officers called this move distasteful and callous. They labeled the association’s press statement as arbitrary and lacking professional standards. The group resolved to ignore the Bar Association's demands entirely.
The law officers urged the Bar Association to backtrack. They hope for a reconsideration of the firing demand and the boycott order. The officers view their stand as a necessary step for the general will. This conflict leaves the state’s legal leadership in a heated standoff.
Updated at 9th September 2026 at 10:00am
The law officers did not hold back in their assessment of the Bar's public rhetoric. They branded the association's widely circulated media statement as a "circumvent, impetuous and supercilious statement," claiming the body acted without considering all aspects of the matter.
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