Date:17/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/17/stories/2007041703021400.htm

National

Milon Banerjee's tenure extended

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi : The Centre has extended the tenure of Attorney General Milon Kumar Banerjee by two years till 2009 with effect from June 5, 2007. His three-year tenure from June 5, 2004 was to expire on June 4. Mr. Banerjee (77) was enrolled as an advocate in 1955 and designated senior advocate in May 1972. Besides regular appearances in Supreme Court and other courts in India, he appeared in several international arbitrations as well.

He was appointed second Additional Solicitor General of India in August 1979 and thereafter as the first ASG. He was Solicitor General from 1986 to 1989 and Attorney General from November 1992 to July 1996. He has appeared in several important cases in the Supreme Court.

He appeared in the Calcutta High Court in a case seeking a ban on the Holy Koran.

As Solicitor General, he strongly supported the petitioner in an environment protection case while appearing for the Union of India, which resulted in a ban on quarrying activities in Dehradun Mussorrie area. In the Ayodhya case, he was faced with a case of far reaching significance as Attorney General. The day he took over (November 24, 1992), he warned the Supreme Court that the situation had reached a boiling point and inaction by the court would make the situation irreversible and the court being faced with a fait accompli.

The judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi case upholding the validity of the Acquisition of Certain Areas in Ayodhya Act, 1993, was another landmark in his career. The Supreme Court revived the national awards, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan etc., accepting his argument and suggestions.