OSBC to reply in four weeks on enrolment fee for advocates

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has given Odisha State Bar Council (OSBC) ‘four weeks’ time as last opportunity to file reply to a petition seeking intervention in charging of enrolment fee for advocates by it.“OSBC, in the guise of development and welfare of the advocates, levies exorbitant enrolment fees,” the petition alleged.

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice R K Pattanaik set the deadline on Wednesday after OSBC counsel sought more time for filing the reply. Earlier on May 18, the HC had issued notice returnable within four weeks to OSBC and fixed August 3 for hearing on the matter. The bench has now adjourned it to October 11. Binayak Subudhi, a legal aspirant, had filed the petition alleging that the enrolment fee levied by OSBC is the most expensive across all the State Bar Councils in India.

“A legal aspirant who seeks to be an advocate in Odisha has to pay Rs 42,000 plus other Bar Association membership fees to start his career. However, if such a person has to start his legal career in New Delhi, West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh, he just has to pay enrolment fee of approximately Rs 15,000,” Subudhi alleged.

“This difference creates an unreasonable distinction between those from Odisha and those from other States where the enrolment fees are quite reasonable,” the petition contended. “Also, such distinction causes an indirect restriction for those from economically weaker sections to become advocates. Such a difference is violative of Right to Equality enshrined under Article 14,” the petition alleged.