When DY Chandrachud Fought His First Case, How Much Fee Did He Charge? CJI Reveals In Supreme Court

when dy chandrachud fought his first case, how much fee did he charge? cji reveals in supreme court

New Delhi: New Delhi: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud revealed that he billed his client a mere Rs 60 when he argued his first case in the Bombay High Court decades ago, shortly after graduating from law school.

In 1986, after returning from Harvard, Chief Justice Chandrachud began his legal practice in the Bombay High Court. His inaugural case, requiring an urgent hearing, was presented before Justice Sujata Manohar. For his services, he received a fee of Rs 60.

During that period, legal practitioners commonly charged fees not in Indian rupees but in gold ‘mohar’, a practice inherited from colonial times. Lawyers would note their fees in “GM” on a green docket provided by their clients, with one gold mohar equivalent to approximately Rs 15. Chief Justice Chandrachud recorded “4 GM” on the docket, signifying a fee of Rs 60.

This convention persisted in the Bombay High Court until about 25 years ago, with the price of one gold mohar in the Calcutta High Court standing at Rs 16.

In a recent hearing, the Supreme Court Bench, including Justice JB Pardiwala, deliberated on petitions contesting the high enrolment fees charged by various state bar councils. The court pondered whether bar councils had the authority to impose fees exceeding the Advocates Act, 1961 stipulations, which prescribe Rs 600 for state bar councils and Rs 150 for the Bar Council of India.

Observing disparities in fees across different states, ranging from Rs 15,000 in Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi to Rs 41,000 in Odisha, the bench underscored the legal query regarding the permissible fee ceiling.

Addressing the issue, Chief Justice Chandrachud said that the clarity of the law, affirming that bar councils cannot levy fees exceeding Rs 600 as mandated. Last July, the Supreme Court consolidated petitions from various high courts on this matter, aiming to establish uniformity in enrolment fees. Last year, the Kerala High Court directed the Bar Council of Kerala to collect only Rs 750 as an enrolment fee until the Bar Council of India devises a standardized fee structure.