Bar Councils cannot collect any 'optional' fee beyond statutory enrolment fee, Supreme Court rules

The Supreme Court has ruled that State Bar Councils and the Bar Council of India cannot collect any amount as an "optional" fee from law graduates at the time of enrolment. Hearing a contempt petition filed by K.L.J.A. Kiran Babu against the Karnataka State Bar Council, a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan declared that "there is nothing like optional" and that fees must strictly follow the Court's July 2024 judgment in Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India, which caps the statutory enrolment fee at Rs 750 for general candidates and Rs 125 for SC/ST candidates. The Court directed Karnataka to immediately stop collecting Rs 6,800 and Rs 25,000 over the statutory fee for items such as ID cards, certificates, welfare fund and training, and closed the contempt petition. LawStreet 24law.in (Lawstreet, 24Law)

• The Supreme Court has ruled that State Bar Councils and the Bar Council of India cannot collect any amount as an "optional" fee from law graduates at the time of enrolment.
• Hearing a contempt petition filed by K.L.J.A.
• Kiran Babu against the Karnataka State Bar Council, a bench of Justices J.B.