Can State Bar Councils Collect More Than Rs 600 As Enrollment Fee? Supreme Court Reserves Judgment Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India W.P.(C) No. 352/2023

Can State Bar Councils Collect More Than Rs 600 As Enrollment Fee? Supreme Court Reserves Judgment Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India W.P.(C) No. 352/2023

As per the latest updates, the Supreme Court of India has reserved its judgment on this matter, after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the enrollment fees charged by different State Bar Councils as exorbitant.

One of the main points raised by the bench during the hearing was whether the Bar Councils can charge anything more than the amount prescribed as per Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act 1961, which is Rs 600 for the State Bar Council and Rs 150 for the Bar Council of India.

The bench also noted that there was no uniformity in the fees charged by different State Bar Councils, with some states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi charging around Rs 15,000, whereas in states like Odisha, it is Rs 41,000.

Senior Advocates Manan Kumar Mishra and S Prabhakaran, appearing for the Bar Council, argued that the fees charged by the State Bar Councils are not just for enrollment but also for various services provided to advocates, such as maintenance of libraries, continuing legal education, etc.

However, the bench observed that it is for the parliament to increase the enrollment fee and that the statute is very clear that the enrollment fee cannot exceed Rs 600.

Now that the judgment has been reserved, it is expected that the Supreme Court will soon provide clarity on this matter.

Supreme Court of India reserved its judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the enrollment fees charged by different State Bar Councils as exorbitant. The main issue raised by the bench during the hearing was whether the Bar Councils can charge anything more than the amount prescribed as per Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act 1961, which is Rs 600 for the State Bar Council and Rs 150 for the Bar Council of India.

The bench also noted that there was no uniformity in the fees charged by different State Bar Councils, with some states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi charging around Rs 15,000, whereas in states like Odisha, it is Rs 41,000.

Senior Advocates Manan Kumar Mishra and S Prabhakaran, appearing for the Bar Council, argued that the fees charged by the State Bar Councils are not just for enrollment but also for various services provided to advocates, such as maintenance of libraries, continuing legal education, etc.

However, the bench observed that it is for the parliament to increase the enrollment fee and that the statute is very clear that the enrollment fee cannot exceed Rs 600.