Kochi, Mar 8 (IANS): The Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) has challenged an interim order of the Kerala High Court directing it to provisionally accept enrolment applications by certain law graduates (petitioners) on the payment of the statutorily prescribed nominal fee of Rs 750.

The single judge-bench's order came on February 16 based on a plea moved by ten law graduates of the 2019-22 batch from the Government Law College, Ernakulam challenging the fee of Rs 15,900 that the state Bar Council was charging.

In its plea against the interim order, the Bar Council contended before a division bench that there is no statutory bar imposed on it from levying the requisite charges to satisfy the conditions of enrolment from the candidates.

The law entitles state Bar Councils to lay down eligibility conditions and necessary financial requirements to be satisfied by law graduates seeking enrolment, it said, adding that it is constrained to collect charges for the services provided by it since it is an autonomous body that does not receive any outside income or grant in aid and it has expenses too.

On these grounds, the BCK has now urged for setting aside the single judge order. Insisting on only collecting Rs 750 as enrolment fees would virtually stall the enrolment process, it argued.