Amicus Curiae: The Indian perspective

An amicus curia is a Latin word which means, ‘friend of the court. He/she is a person appointed by the court who is a specialist in any specific area along with the legal knowledge who can assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case in the form of a brief. He is not a party to a case and should not be appointed by a party to maintain the transparency and unbiased decision. The Court appoints him and the court itself provides his fees/consultation. The decision on whether to consider an amicus brief lies within the discretion of the court.