Had to raise enrolment fee to ₹15,000 due to inflation, expenses: Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa to Supreme Court

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa has justified its decision to hike its advocate enrolment fees, submitting before the Supreme Court that the ₹15,000 fee was needed to bear welfare expenses and to account for inflation. [Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India and ors]."Due to the overall increase in inflation and expenses and the increase in the number of activities engaged in by BCMG for the welfare of Advocates, BCMG had no choice but to increase the charges with effect from 01st January 2020," the Council submitted in a counter-affidavit..The affidavit was filed in response to a petition challenging the non-uniform and exorbitant enrolment fees collected by different State Bar Councils across India..With effect from 2020, the amount to enrol with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa was increased to ₹15,000 from the earlier ₹7,450..The Council has detailed various welfare measures and educative programmes it undertakes, which need to be supported by such funds. A bulk of the enrolment fees collected go towards one-time charges that are valid for a lifetime, the Council further pointed out.Moreover, such fees are necessary to meet its expenditure requirements to train lawyers for judiciary and public prosecutor examinations, the Court was told.The lawyers' body also highlighted that it does not get any financial assistance from the State government, and that it has to finance its activities from its own revenue. "The answering repsondent does not get any financial assistance from the Government and has to sustain its operations from its own revenues ... All the funds are strictly utilized to support the activities that the BCMG is required to carry out under the Advocates Act, 1961 and BCMG deems fit for the Welfare of the advocates," the affidavit stated. .The Court was also informed that the Council invests the amounts collected in fixed deposits. Only the interest accrued on these fixed deposits are used for its activities, in line with applicable regulations..Last April, the Supreme Court had asked State Bar Councils to respond the plea challenging the varied and exorbitant enrolment fees charged in various States. On a related note, the top court today also issued notice in a plea by the Bar Council of India (BCI) to transfer all cases concerning enrolment fees pending before various High Courts to the Supreme Court. The move came in the wake of a Kerala High Court order directing the Bar Council of Kerala to cap its enrolment fee at ₹750, until the BCI lays down a uniform fee structure applicable to all State Bar Councils..Recently, the BCI also assured the Punjab & Haryana High Court that it would take necessary steps to deal with the issue of exorbitant enrolment fees.