The Punjab government announced the appointment of senior advocate Gurminder Singh as the new Advocate General for the state, marking the third change since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took control in March 2022. Singh will take over from Vinod Ghai, who resigned from his position, citing “personal reasons”.
The decision to appoint Singh was approved during a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, this morning. The formal notification of his appointment is pending approval from Governor Banwari Lal Purohit.
Vinod Ghai’s resignation had been anticipated for some time. Reports surfaced on September 17th that the government was considering his replacement due to legal setbacks in several cases, particularly concerning the dissolution of panchayats and home delivery of atta, which faced legal challenges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Mann government had to withdraw a notification related to the premature dissolution of panchayats, which caused embarrassment.
Ghai, a prominent criminal lawyer, assumed the role of Advocate General in July 2022, succeeding senior advocate Anmol Rattan Sidhu, who had resigned earlier due to differences over the selection of law officers and other matters. Sidhu had also cited “personal reasons” for his resignation.
Gurminder Singh, the newly appointed Advocate General, is a first-generation lawyer with over three decades of legal experience. He began his practice in 1989 after completing his law degree at Panjab University and was designated as a senior advocate in 2014. His expertise lies in service litigation, constitutional issues, and criminal matters. He has previously served as the standing counsel for institutions such as the Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Union Service Public Commission, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, and various state boards and corporations. Notably, Singh also has a history of working in the state’s Advocate General’s office, having served as an assistant advocate general and deputy advocate general before leaving the office in March 2008.
