AILAJ Urges Bar Councils to Reduce Enrollment Fees to ₹750 for Equal Access

The All India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ) has written a letter to the Bar Council of India and Bar Council of Delhi, urging them to take prompt measures to ensure that all State Bar Councils reduce the enrollment fees to ₹750 until the matter is settled through a judicial order.

AILAJ highlights that the high enrollment fees charged by State Bar Councils create barriers for students from marginalized communities who aspire to pursue a career in law.

To support their request, AILAJ cites various case laws, including BCI v. Bonnie Foi Law College, where the Supreme Court, while upholding the validity of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE), expressed concerns over the lack of uniformity in enrollment fees across the country.

Referring to pending cases in other High Courts, such as Orissa and Bombay, as well as the recent case of The Bar Council of Kerala vs. Akshai M. Sivan, where the Kerala High Court directed the Bar Council of Kerala to collect only ₹750 as the enrollment fee, AILAJ emphasizes the need for the Bar Council of India to address this issue and ensure a uniform fee structure to prevent financial burden on young students entering the legal profession.

The letter also mentions a related PIL filed in the Supreme Court, arguing that charging enrollment fees by State Bar Councils, beyond what is prescribed under section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act, is a violation of the right to equality and equal treatment guaranteed to law students and graduates under Article 14 of the Constitution.