Kerala HC lawyers body to observe 'pen down protest day' on Wednesday against court fees hike

Kochi, April 8 (IANS) In continuation of their earlier decision to protest against the indiscriminate hike in Court fees, the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) passed a resolution on Tuesday to abstain from court proceedings on Wednesday.

The KHCAA said they are participating in the "pen down protest day" as the increase in court fees is a grave danger to democracy and the judicial system.

Moreover, they have also filed a PIL before the High Court protesting the hike, saying that the court fees have been increased by 400 per cent to 9,900 per cent.

While announcing their protests, they also expected that no adverse orders would be passed for non-appearance on Wednesday, as their protest is only aimed at raising awareness among the people about the grave injustice that is caused to them by these changes.

The lawyers' association had, at their meeting held here last week, taken the decision to stage a token protest on Wednesday and file a writ petition challenging the recent hike in court fees in the state.

It was last year that the Kerala government had constituted a five-member Committee headed by retired Kerala High Court judge Justice V.K. Mohanan to study and suggest proposals for the revision of court fees so that the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959, can be amended as needed.

Based on the interim report of the Committee, the government had, in 2024, revised court fees for family court cases and cases that fall under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Petitions challenging the same are pending before the High Court.

In his budget speech delivered on February 7, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal noted that the hikes in court fees have been proposed, and the Finance Bill containing the new rates was passed in the state Assembly on March 25.

Following this, the changes in the fees announced in the budget speech came into effect on April 1.

The only relief that came was when the court fees for filing habeas corpus and public interest litigation petitions before the High Court were left untouched.

Both the Bar Council of Kerala and the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association have also expressed their strong opposition to the increase in court fees.

The primary reason for the hike is the appalling financial position of the state government, and the hike in rates is not just in the judicial sector, but cuts across all the government services.

There has been a fresh hike in the electricity and water charges, which has come into effect from the new fiscal and it remains to be seen if there will be any relief.

--IANS

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