In a recent development, the Uttarakhand High Court has sought a response from the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Bar Council of Uttarakhand regarding a plea challenging the increased fees for filing complaints against lawyers.

The Bar Council of Uttarakhand had raised the fee for filing a complaint against an advocate to ₹5,500. The complaint can only be considered for disciplinary action against the advocate after the payment of this fee.

Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal issued a notice in response to the plea and directed the BCI and the Bar Council of Uttarakhand to file their counter affidavits within one week.

The petitioner argued that the fee hike imposed by the Bar Council of Uttarakhand is in violation of the Bar Council of India Rules. According to these rules, the maximum fee that can be charged for lodging a complaint for disciplinary action against an advocate is ₹450.

The petitioner contended that the decision to fix the fee at ₹5,500 by the Bar Council of Uttarakhand is illegal. The petitioner's counsel highlighted that the exorbitant fees prevent genuine complainants from initiating complaints against advocate misconduct. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for June 13.

Advocate Kartikey Hari Gupta represented the petitioner in this case.