Madras High Court dismisses PIL seeking reduction of All India Bar Examination fee

The Madras High Court dismissed a petition seeking to reduce the application fee for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) conducted by the Bar Council of India (BCI). Advocate Gokul Abhimanyu filed the public interest litigation, arguing that the ₹3,500 fee was excessive. However, the court, comprising Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice GR Swaminathan, noted the absence of any statutory provision regulating the AIBE fee, unlike the enrolment fee under the Advocates Act. The Bench emphasized that a Writ of Mandamus requires the existence of a legal right, which was not demonstrated in this case. Additionally, the court deemed the ₹3,500 fee reasonable and not exorbitant. Consequently, the petition was dismissed. Advocate M Pozhilan represented the petitioner, while Deputy Solicitor General of India K Govindarajan appeared for the respondent Union government and the BCI.