State bar councils cannot charge exorbitant fees for enrolling law graduates as lawyers as it perpetuates "systemic discrimination" against marginalised and economically weaker sections, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
Stating that "dignity is crucial to substantive equality", the bench observed that state bar councils (SBCs) and the Bar Council of India (BCI) cannot "alter or modify" the fiscal policy laid down by Parliament.
They are users of delegated powers under the Advocates Act, 1961, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said, specifying that they cannot charge more than Rs 650 and Rs 125 for enrolling law graduates from the general and SC-ST categories, respectively.
The verdict, which was reserved on April 22, came on 10 pleas filed by some lawyers who claimed SBCs were levying exorbitant enrolment fees, and the counter pleas of some SBCs.
It was alleged that the enrolment fee is Rs 42,100 in Odisha, Rs 25,000 in Gujarat, Rs 23,650 in Uttarakhand, Rs 21,460
