Kerala High Court Seeks Bar Council's Stand On Lawyers' Plea Alleging It Charged 'Excess' Fees For Enrolment

The Kerala High Court on Friday (November 14) sought the State Bar Council's stand while considering a plea preferred by seven lawyers challenging 'excess' fees charged by the body to conduct their enrolments.Justice V.G. Arun today gave time to the standing counsel to take instructions from the Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) regarding the same.In the plea, the petitioners, who are members of the BCK, claimed that it charged fees in excess of the statutorily prescribed fees for carry out their enrolments to the bar.“The 1st Respondent Bar Council of Kerala illegally and arbitrarily forced the Petitioners to pay additional verification fees amounting to a total of Rs.5000 (Rs.4000 as University processing Handling Charges and verification fee Rules, 2015 and Rs.1000 as Police Verification Fee and Handling Charges) beyond the statutorily prescribed fees of Rs.750,” states the plea.According to them, the same was an illegal imposition, in direct violation of the recent Supreme Court decisions in Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India and Kiran Babu v. Karnataka State Bar Council. Recently, the Karnataka High Court also directed the Karnataka State Bar Council to refund the excess enrollment fee collected contrary to the statutory enrollment fee prescribed under Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act, 1961.Relying on these decisions, the petitioners also sought a refund of the excess fees charged. The petitioners have also prayed for directions to the BCK to cease and desist from collecting fees beyond the statutorily prescribed ones.Further, prayers have been made to direct the respondents, BCK and the Bar Council of India (BCI) not to impose additional conditions beyond the statutory conditions for the purpose of enrolment.The case is posted next on November 25.The petition is moved by Advocates Shinto Mathew Abraham, Arun Thomas, Veena Raveendran, Karthika Maria, Anil Sebastian Pulickel, Leah Rachel Ninan, Mathew Nevin Thomas, Karthik Rajagopal, Kurian Antony Mathew, Aparnna S., Noel Ninan Ninan, Adeen Nazar, Arun Joseph Mathew, Rohan Mathew. Case No: WP(C) 42845/2025Case Title: Adv. Shani A.R. and Ors. v. Bar Council of Kerala and Anr.

Kerala High Court Seeks Bar Council's Stand On Lawyers' Plea Alleging It Charged 'Excess' Fees For Enrolment

K. Salma Jennath

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