Supreme Court Bars Bar Councils from Collecting ‘Optional’ Enrolment Fees

The Supreme Court has firmly ruled that neither the Bar Council of India (BCI) nor any State Bar Council may collect fees labelled as “optional” during lawyer enrolment; only the statutory amounts under Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act are permissible.

The court flagged the Karnataka State Bar Council, which had imposed additional charges of ₹6,800 and ₹25,000 for items like ID cards, certificates and training, as a violation.

The Court emphasised: “there is nothing like optional” and ordered all such collections must stop immediately.

The judgment applies prospectively, following the July 2024 ruling that capped enrolment fees at ₹750 for general candidates and ₹125 for SC/ST candidates. 

[KLJA Kiran Babu vs. Karnataka State Bar Council]