Kochi: The Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) is planning a token protest and will file a writ petition challenging the recent court fee hike in Kerala.
The meeting of the lawyers' body granted permission to call a token strike on Wednesday if all the bar associations of Kerala agree.
The Kerala government formed a five-member committee in 2024, led by retired 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.
Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal announced proposed hikes in court fees during his February 7 budget speech, and the Finance Bill containing the new rates was passed in the state Assembly on March 25.
The changes in court fees announced in the budget speech took effect on April 1, introducing a major increase ranging from 500% to over 6500%. However, court fees for filing habeas corpus and public interest litigation petitions before the High Court were exempted from this hike.
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 year, and it remains to be seen if there will be any relief.
(inputs from IANS)