16Privileges of Government in suits in which it is concerned.

Privileges of ¹[Government] ²*** in suits in which it is concerned.--Whenever any suit is brought in any District Court ³[against the ¹[Government]] ²*** or against any Revenue officer, ⁴[and the ¹[Government] ²*** undertakes] the defence thereof, it shall be lawful ⁵[for the ⁶[State] Government], by certificate signed by a Secretary thereto, to require--
(a) that such suit shall be tried by the District Judge himself, and shall not be transferred for trial to an Assistant Judge; and
(b) that the trial of any such suit shall have precedence over the trial of any other suit or other civil proceeding then pending in such Court;
and the Court shall give effect to every such requirement.
The privilege conferred ⁷[on Government] by the clause (b) of this section shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to any appeal or special appeal against any decree in any such suit as is described in this section.