Delhi, 2nd December 2022: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking exemption of enrollment fee for transgenders as bar council or advocates. The matter was mentioned before a bench of CJI (Chief Justice of India) Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha Rao. Refusing to hear the matter, the bench said that the norms of judicial review do not allow constitutional courts to pass orders like waiver of the enrollment fee.

On this matter, CJI Chandrachud said, “You cannot say that do not take enrollment fees from transgenders. Then why is this exemption only for transgenders? It should also be given to women, disabled and helpless people. You have to understand the criteria of judicial review.” Along with this, the CJI has remarked that if such relaxation is given in the legal profession, it should be applicable in other sectors, including the medical field, and relaxation should be given there as well.

The Court said that such orders cannot be allowed to be passed under judicial review. Thereafter, the counsel for the petitioner M Karpagam decided to withdraw his petition. At the same time, the Supreme Court allowed Karpagam to make a representation to this effect to the Bar Council of India, the apex statutory body of lawyers.