Bar Councils and Their Power to Charge Money : Supreme Court Explains the Law

Bar Councils and Their Power to Charge Money : Supreme Court Explains the Law

In a recent decision [KLJA Kiran Babu v. Karnataka State Bar Council [2025] GCtR 1399 (SC)], one of the State Bar Council has devised an illegal plan of charging more money from young law graduates instead of extending financial help or providing free training to them. 

Karnataka Bar Council was charging fees in addition to Rs. 750/- from the young law graduates ; that amount was charged by calling it "optional". It was held that "there is nothing like optional. No State Bar Council(s) or Bar Council of India shall collect any fees of any amount as optional. They shall strictly collect fees in accordance with the directions issued by this Court in the main judgment." Bar Councils cannot collect any optional amount and any amount other than Rs. 750 cannot be charged by Bar Councils.

This decision would make it clear that even the fees for verification collected by Bar Councils for issuing COP is also clearly illegal and an action liable to be put under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.