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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Bar Council in the plea filed by a law graduate challenging the enrolment fees of INR 16,665 for registration of advocates.

A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has accordingly listed the plea for hearing after two weeks.

The plea by one Kuldeep, a 2023 law graduate from Benaras Hindu University challenges the enrolment fee as well as the additional INR 5,000 charge for expedited processing of a registration application within one day.

When the CJI questioned the petitioner as to what fees would be reasonable, the bench was told that only INR 750 should be charged as per Advocates Act, 1961.

The Supreme Court on earlier occasion has questioned as to how much Bar Councils across the country were collecting every year under the enrollment fees paid by lawyers seeking to enroll with them.

In April 2023, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Union Government, Bar Council of India and all state bar councils in the instant plea noting that it was a "significant issue".

Court was told in said plea that the charging of enrolment fees is a violation of Section 24(1) of the Advocates Act 1961 and that the BCI has the duty to ensure that exorbitant enrolment fees is not charged.

Bench further noted that in Odisha, an enrollment fee of Rs 42,100 was charged; in Gujarat it was Rs.25,000; in Uttarakhand Rs 23,650; and in Jharkhand it was Rs 21,460.

The petition added that this discouraged young aspiring lawyers who do not have the resources to pay such fees.

Case Title: Kuldeep vs. Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh