The Madras High Court has issued a notice in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a fifth-year law student, challenging the high enrollment fees charged by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for law graduates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. The petitioner, R Manariman, argued that the enrollment fee of ₹11,000 charged by the State Bar Council was exorbitant and difficult for candidates to pay. He also pointed out that as per the Advocates Act, only ₹750 was required to be deposited as enrollment fee. The Court has asked the State Bar Council, the Bar Council of India, and the Tamil Nadu government to file their replies by the second week of June. This is not the first time such an issue has come up before the courts, with similar challenges being made in Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
TAGS: Madras High Court notice plea high enrollment fees SC/ST law graduates Tamil Nadu Bar Council R Manariman Advocates Act exorbitant difficult special fee Maharashtra Goa Bombay High Court Kerala Punjab & Haryana High Court Supreme Court fundamental right equality Article 14 Constitution.
