In an Indian court, PP stands for Public Prosecutor, the lawyer appointed by the Government to conduct criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State. The other titles heard in court have equally specific meanings. An advocate is a person enrolled on a State Bar Council’s roll under the Advocates Act, 1961, and only advocates are entitled to practise law in Indian courts. “Lawyer” is the everyday word for anyone trained in law, enrolled or not. A barrister is a person called to the Bar in England and Wales or another such jurisdiction, who can practise in India only after enrolling as an advocate. This guide explains each of these terms, and APP, Special Public Prosecutor, Senior Advocate, Advocate General, Attorney General and Solicitor General, using the text of the Advocates Act, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Constitution, with a summary in Hindi.
At a glance
- PP full form: Public Prosecutor, defined in Section 2(1)(v) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 2(u) of the CrPC) and appointed under Section 18.
- APP: can mean an Additional Public Prosecutor (Section 18) or an Assistant Public Prosecutor, who prosecutes in Magistrates’ courts (Section 19).
- Advocate: “an advocate entered in any roll under the provisions of this Act” (Advocates Act, 1961, Section 2(1)(a)). Advocates are the only class of persons entitled to practise law (Section 29).
- Lawyer: not a term defined in the Advocates Act; a law graduate who is not enrolled is not entitled to practise in court.
- Barrister: a foreign qualification; a barrister can practise in India only after being admitted as an advocate on a State roll.
- Attorney General, Advocate General, Solicitor General: the first two are constitutional offices that advise the Government of India (Article 76) and each State Government (Article 165); the Solicitor General is a law officer of the Union under the Law Officer (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987.
Reviewed and updated by Century Law Firm, Delhi – October 2026. Statutory references are to the Acts as in force on that date.
PP full form in court: Public Prosecutor
When a judge or court staff call out “PP”, they mean the Public Prosecutor. Since 1 July 2024 the definition is in Section 2(1)(v) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS): “Public Prosecutor” means “any person appointed under section 18, and includes any person acting under the directions of a Public Prosecutor”. The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 had the same definition in Section 2(u), with the appointment provision in Section 24. In Hindi the post is called लोक अभियोजक (lok abhiyojak).
Section 18 of the BNSS provides for appointments at two levels. For every High Court, the Central Government or the State Government, after consultation with the High Court, appoints a Public Prosecutor and may appoint one or more Additional Public Prosecutors “for conducting in such Court, any prosecution, appeal or other proceeding on behalf of the Central Government or the State Government”. For every district, the State Government appoints a Public Prosecutor and may appoint Additional Public Prosecutors, from a panel prepared by the District Magistrate in consultation with the Sessions Judge; where a State has a regular cadre of prosecuting officers, appointments are made from that cadre, with a return to the panel only if no suitable person is available in the cadre. Under Section 18(7), a person is eligible to be a Public Prosecutor or Additional Public Prosecutor “only if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than seven years.”
For a particular case or class of cases, the Government may appoint a Special Public Prosecutor, who must have been in practice as an advocate for not less than ten years (Section 18(8)). The proviso to that sub-section adds that “the Court may permit the victim to engage an advocate of his choice to assist the prosecution under this sub-section.” Section 20 allows each State to establish a Directorate of Prosecution, headed by a Director of Prosecution “who shall function under the administrative control of the Home Department in the State”; a Director or Deputy Director of Prosecution must have been in practice as an advocate for not less than fifteen years or be or have been a Sessions Judge.
APP: Additional or Assistant Public Prosecutor
“APP” can mean two different posts, and the context tells which. An Additional Public Prosecutor is appointed under Section 18 of the BNSS alongside the Public Prosecutor, for the High Court or for a district, and needs the same seven years of practice. An Assistant Public Prosecutor is appointed under Section 19, which says: “The State Government shall appoint in every district one or more Assistant Public Prosecutors for conducting prosecutions in the Courts of Magistrates.” So the prosecutor in a Magistrate’s court is ordinarily an Assistant Public Prosecutor, while under Section 248 of the BNSS, “In every trial before a Court of Session, the prosecution shall be conducted by a Public Prosecutor”, a term that includes an Additional Public Prosecutor appointed under Section 18 and anyone acting under a Public Prosecutor’s directions. Section 19 also bars a police officer from being appointed as an Assistant Public Prosecutor if he “has taken any part in the investigation into the offence with respect to which the accused is being prosecuted” or “is below the rank of Inspector”.
Prepared by Century Law Firm from the statutes and rules named above.
Lawyer vs advocate: what is the difference?
The Advocates Act, 1961 defines an advocate in Section 2(1)(a) as “an advocate entered in any roll under the provisions of this Act”. Every State Bar Council keeps such a roll under Section 17. Section 29 then says that “there shall, as from the appointed day, be only one class of persons entitled to practise the profession of law, namely, advocates”, and Section 33 that “no person shall, on or after the appointed day, be entitled to practise in any court or before any authority or person unless he is enrolled as an advocate under this Act.” Section 30 gives every advocate on a State roll the right to practise throughout the territories to which the Act extends, “in all courts including the Supreme Court”, before any tribunal or person legally authorised to take evidence, and before any other authority or person before whom advocates are entitled to practise. Practising without that entitlement is an offence under Section 45, “punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months.”
“Lawyer”, by contrast, is not among the terms defined in Section 2 of the Act, which uses “advocate”, “legal practitioner” and “law graduate” instead. In ordinary speech “lawyer” covers anyone with a law degree, including law officers, corporate counsel, legal advisers and academics. A law graduate who has not enrolled is not entitled to practise in any court (Section 33). Put simply, every advocate is a lawyer, but a lawyer becomes an advocate only on enrolment. The Act does use a related phrase: Section 2(1)(i) defines “legal practitioner” as “an advocate or vakil of any High Court, a pleader, mukhtar or revenue agent”, older categories that the single class of advocates replaced. Until 15 October 1976 that definition also included “attorney”.
Many readers search for the “full form” of advocate or lawyer. Neither word is an abbreviation; both are ordinary English words. In writing, “Adv.” is often used before an advocate’s name as a short form.
How a law graduate becomes an advocate
Section 24 of the Advocates Act lists the conditions for admission to a State roll. The applicant must be a citizen of India (a national of another country may be admitted if duly qualified Indian citizens are permitted to practise law in that country), must have completed twenty-one years of age, and must hold a recognised law degree or another qualification listed in Section 24(1)(c). For degrees obtained after 12 March 1967, that means a law degree from a university in India recognised by the Bar Council of India, after the course of study the section specifies; a foreign degree counts only “if the degree is recognised for the purposes of this Act by the Bar Council of India”. The applicant must also meet the other conditions in the section and the rules made under it, including payment of the enrolment fee.
The Bar Council of India also holds the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). In Bar Council of India v. Bonnie Foi Law College (10 February 2023), a Constitution Bench of five judges, in Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul’s judgment, upheld the Bar Council’s power to require it: “the provision for an examination for enrolment of advocates by the Bar Council of India can hardly be doubted.” The Court overruled its earlier decision in V. Sudeer, left it to the Bar Council of India to decide “at what stage the All India Bar Examination has to be held – pre or post” enrolment, and made the judgment prospective. The judgment records a submission made in December 2009 that the first examination would be held in July–August 2010.
Senior Advocates
Section 16 of the Advocates Act creates “two classes of advocates, namely, senior advocates and other advocates.” An advocate may, with his consent, be designated as a senior advocate “if the Supreme Court or a High Court is of opinion that by virtue of his ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law he is deserving of such distinction.” Senior advocates are subject in their practice to such restrictions as the Bar Council of India may prescribe in the interests of the legal profession.
Barrister: who is a barrister in India?
A barrister is someone “called to the Bar” in England and Wales or another jurisdiction that uses that system. In India the title has no separate standing in court. The Advocates Act treats it as one route to qualification: Section 24(1)(c) also accepts a person who “is a barrister and is called to the Bar on or before the 31st day of December, 1976”, or who “has obtained such other foreign qualification in law as is recognised by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of admission as an advocate under this Act”. A barrister called to the Bar after 1976 therefore qualifies only through a foreign qualification recognised by the Bar Council of India or a law degree that meets the other clauses of Section 24, and in every case must be admitted to a State roll before practising in Indian courts.
Attorney: two meanings
In India “attorney” is used in two senses. Historically, the High Courts at Bombay and Calcutta enrolled attorneys; Section 24(1)(c) still refers to a person who “has passed the article clerk’s examination or any other examination specified by the High Court at Bombay or Calcutta for enrolment as an attorney of that High Court”. Since 15 October 1976 the word “attorney” has been removed from the definition of “legal practitioner”, and attorneys, like everyone else, practise as advocates.
Today the word is more often heard in “power of attorney”. A person holding a general power of attorney (GPA) for someone else is not a lawyer for that person. Section 32 of the Advocates Act allows any court, authority or person to “permit any person, not enrolled as an advocate under this Act, to appear before it or him in any particular case.” In S. Ramachandra Rao v. S. Nagabhushana Rao (19 October 2022), the Supreme Court held that a GPA holder may appear for the principal only with such permission, granted “on case-to-case basis”, and that even where the GPA holder happens to be an enrolled advocate, she “would be entitled to appear only as the GPA holder and not as an advocate.”
Attorney General, Solicitor General and Advocate General
The Attorney General for India is a constitutional office. Under Article 76, the President appoints “a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court”. The Attorney General’s duty is “to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the President, and to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other law for the time being in force”, and in the performance of those duties “the Attorney-General shall have right of audience in all courts in the territory of India.” The Attorney General holds office during the pleasure of the President and receives such remuneration as the President determines. Under Article 88 the Attorney General has the right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of either House, any joint sitting of the Houses and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but not to vote.
The Solicitor General for India is not mentioned in the Constitution. The Law Officer (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987, made under the proviso to Article 309 read with Article 76, define “Law Officer” as including “the Attorney-General for India, the Solicitor-General for India, Additional Solicitor-General for India.” Their duties under rule 5 include giving advice to the Government of India on legal matters, appearing whenever required in the Supreme Court or any High Court in cases in which the Government of India is a party or is interested, and representing the Government in references made by the President to the Supreme Court under Article 143. Rule 8 restricts their private work: among other things a law officer shall not hold briefs for any party except the governments and public bodies listed in the rule, and shall not defend an accused person in a criminal prosecution without the permission of the Government of India.
Each State has an Advocate General under Article 165. The Governor appoints “a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of a High Court”, whose duty is to advise the State Government on legal matters, to perform other legal duties assigned by the Governor and to discharge the functions conferred by or under the Constitution or any other law, and who holds office during the pleasure of the Governor. Article 177 gives the Advocate General the right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of the State Legislature, and of any committee of it of which he may be named a member, without a vote. Section 20(12) of the BNSS notes that the provisions on the Directorate of Prosecution do not apply “to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor.”
PP, लॉयर और एडवोकेट – हिंदी में
कोर्ट में PP का पूरा नाम पब्लिक प्रॉसिक्यूटर (Public Prosecutor) है, जिसे हिंदी में लोक अभियोजक कहते हैं। भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहिता, 2023 (BNSS) की धारा 2(1)(v) और धारा 18 के अनुसार सरकार हाई कोर्ट और हर ज़िले के लिए लोक अभियोजक नियुक्त करती है और अपर लोक अभियोजक (Additional Public Prosecutor) भी नियुक्त कर सकती है; इनके लिए कम से कम सात वर्ष की वकालत ज़रूरी है। मजिस्ट्रेट की अदालतों में अभियोजन सहायक लोक अभियोजक (Assistant Public Prosecutor) करते हैं (धारा 19)। APP से इन दोनों में से कोई भी पद अभिप्रेत हो सकता है। किसी विशेष मामले के लिए कम से कम दस वर्ष के अनुभव वाले अधिवक्ता को विशेष लोक अभियोजक (Special PP) बनाया जा सकता है, और अदालत पीड़ित को अपनी पसंद का अधिवक्ता अभियोजन की सहायता के लिए रखने की अनुमति दे सकती है।
अधिवक्ता अधिनियम, 1961 के अनुसार एडवोकेट (अधिवक्ता) वह व्यक्ति है जिसका नाम किसी राज्य बार काउंसिल की नामावली (roll) में दर्ज है। धारा 29 और 33 के अनुसार केवल एडवोकेट ही अदालतों में वकालत कर सकते हैं, और बिना अधिकार वकालत करने पर धारा 45 के तहत छह महीने तक की कैद हो सकती है। “लॉयर” (lawyer) अधिनियम में परिभाषित शब्द नहीं है; यह कानून की पढ़ाई किए हुए किसी भी व्यक्ति के लिए आम बोलचाल का शब्द है। हर एडवोकेट लॉयर है, पर लॉयर नामांकन (enrolment) के बाद ही एडवोकेट बनता है। “एडवोकेट” या “लॉयर” किसी शब्द का संक्षिप्त रूप नहीं हैं, इसलिए इनका कोई “फुल फॉर्म” नहीं है।
बैरिस्टर विदेश (जैसे इंग्लैंड) में “बार में बुलाया गया” (called to the Bar) व्यक्ति होता है; भारत में वह भी एडवोकेट के रूप में नामांकन के बाद ही वकालत कर सकता है। अटॉर्नी जनरल (अनुच्छेद 76) भारत सरकार को विधिक सलाह देता है और उसे देश की सभी अदालतों में सुनवाई का अधिकार है; सॉलिसिटर जनरल, लॉ ऑफिसर (कंडीशन्स ऑफ सर्विस) रूल्स, 1987 के तहत केंद्र का एक विधि अधिकारी है; और एडवोकेट जनरल (अनुच्छेद 165) राज्य सरकार को विधिक सलाह देता है।
Frequently asked questions
PP stands for Public Prosecutor, the person appointed by the Government under Section 18 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 24 of the CrPC) to conduct prosecutions, appeals and other proceedings on behalf of the State.
APP can mean Additional Public Prosecutor, appointed with the Public Prosecutor under Section 18 of the BNSS, or Assistant Public Prosecutor, appointed under Section 19 to conduct prosecutions in Magistrates’ courts.
“Advocate” is a legal status under the Advocates Act, 1961: a person entered on a State Bar Council’s roll, entitled to practise in courts. “Lawyer” is a general word for anyone trained in law. Every advocate is a lawyer, but a lawyer can practise in court only after enrolling as an advocate.
There is none. “Advocate” is an ordinary English word, not an abbreviation. Under Section 2(1)(a) of the Advocates Act, 1961 it means an advocate entered in any roll under that Act. “Adv.” is a common short form used before a name.
Under Section 18(7) of the BNSS, an advocate with at least seven years’ practice is eligible to be appointed Public Prosecutor or Additional Public Prosecutor. A Special Public Prosecutor needs at least ten years’ practice. Where a State has a regular cadre of prosecuting officers, appointments are made from that cadre, unless no suitable person is available in it.
Yes, if the court permits. The proviso to Section 18(8) of the BNSS says the court may permit the victim to engage an advocate of his choice to assist the prosecution under that sub-section.
Only after enrolling as an advocate on a State roll. Section 24 of the Advocates Act treats as qualified a barrister called to the Bar on or before 31 December 1976, or a person with another foreign qualification recognised by the Bar Council of India, subject to the other conditions of that section.
Historically, the Bombay and Calcutta High Courts enrolled attorneys; today everyone who practises does so as an advocate. In everyday use “attorney” usually means a power of attorney holder, who can appear for the principal only with the court’s permission in a particular case, and then not as an advocate (Section 32, Advocates Act; S. Ramachandra Rao, 2022).
Only with the court’s permission under Section 32 of the Advocates Act, granted case by case. In S. Ramachandra Rao v. S. Nagabhushana Rao (2022) the Supreme Court held that such a person appears as the GPA holder, not as an advocate, even if he or she is an enrolled advocate.
The Attorney General is appointed by the President under Article 76 from persons qualified to be Supreme Court judges, to advise the Government of India on legal matters. The office carries a right of audience in all courts in India and the right to speak in Parliament without a vote (Article 88).
The Attorney General is a constitutional office under Article 76. The Solicitor General is a law officer under the Law Officer (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987, which list the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the Additional Solicitors General as law officers of the Government of India.
The Advocate General is appointed by the Governor under Article 165 from persons qualified to be High Court judges, to advise the State Government on legal matters. The Advocate General may speak in the State Legislature without a vote (Article 177).
The Bar Council of India conducts the All India Bar Examination, and in Bar Council of India v. Bonnie Foi Law College (2023) a Constitution Bench upheld its power to prescribe an examination for enrolment, leaving it to the Bar Council to decide whether it is held before or after enrolment.
Under Section 45 of the Advocates Act, a person who practises in any court or before any authority where he is not entitled to practise is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months.
An advocate designated, with his consent, by the Supreme Court or a High Court as deserving of the distinction by virtue of ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law (Section 16, Advocates Act). Senior advocates are subject to practice restrictions prescribed by the Bar Council of India.
Conclusion
The titles used in Indian courts are not interchangeable. “Advocate” is a status that comes only with enrolment, and it is the only status that carries the right to practise law; “lawyer” is the general word. The Public Prosecutor, the Additional and Assistant Public Prosecutors and the Special Public Prosecutor are appointed under the BNSS to prosecute on behalf of the State; Public, Additional and Special Public Prosecutors must have seven or ten years’ practice as advocates. The Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the Advocate General are the senior law officers of the Union and the States. A barrister must enrol to practise here, and a power of attorney holder, if permitted to appear, does so only as the holder of the power, not as an advocate. Knowing which is which helps in reading cause lists and orders, and in knowing who is speaking for whom in a courtroom.
Sources used for this post: the Advocates Act, 1961, Sections 2, 16, 17, 24, 29, 30, 32, 33 and 45 with their amendment notes (India Code PDF of the Act); the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, Sections 2(1)(v), 18, 19, 20 and 248, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Sections 2(u), 24 and 25 (India Code PDFs); the Constitution of India, Articles 76, 88, 165 and 177 (Legislative Department diglot edition, as on 10 September 2026); the Law Officer (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987 (Department of Legal Affairs consolidated text); and the Supreme Court of India’s own copies of S. Ramachandra Rao v. S. Nagabhushana Rao (19 October 2022) and Bar Council of India v. Bonnie Foi Law College (10 February 2023).