Kerala High Court Orders Bar Council to Process Enrolment of 1995 Evening College Law Graduate
Interim Relief for Retired Government Employee; Optional Fees Waived as Per Supreme Court Precedent
The Kerala High Court has granted interim relief to a retired government employee, directing the Bar Council of Kerala to accept and process his application for enrolment as an advocate, despite objections regarding his LL.B degree obtained through evening college in 1995. Justice Easwaran S admitted PS Vijayakumaran’s petition and ordered that the Council not insist on payment of any optional fees, referencing a previous Supreme Court ruling in KLJA Kiran Babu v. Karnataka State Bar Council Contempt Petition.
The petitioner argued the denial was arbitrary and violated his constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(g), and 21, citing that the Bar Council of India Rules of Legal Education, 2008 did not recognize evening law courses. He also challenged the hefty ₹60,400 enrolment fee, which included additional charges for late application and retired status, pointing out that the Advocates Act, 1961 only prescribes a statutory fee of ₹750.
The Court took note of his financial constraints, as well as his wife’s medical needs, emphasizing the importance of timely enrolment for the family’s livelihood. The order requires the Bar Council to process the application without demanding optional fees, granting critical relief for both recognition of older degrees and the financial accessibility of legal enrolment in Kerala.