In a significant development, the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association has announced its decision to abstain from court proceedings on April 9, 2025. This move is a strong protest against the steep hike in court fees implemented through the Kerala Finance Act, 2025.
The decision was taken after the Association passed a resolution stating their concerns over the fee hike. The protest, termed a "pen down protest day", is aimed at drawing attention to what the lawyers call a serious threat to the accessibility of justice and the democratic structure of the legal system.
"The increase in court fee is a grave danger to democracy and the judicial system." – Kerala High Court Advocates' Association
The Association has not limited its opposition to the protest alone. It has also taken legal action by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Kerala High Court, challenging the legality and proportionality of the court fee hike.
According to the PIL, the court fee has seen an unprecedented surge ranging from 400% to as high as 9900%, which the Association argues will severely affect the common man’s access to justice.
"This steep increase in court fees causes grave injustice to the public and limits their constitutional right to seek legal remedies." – Kerala High Court Advocates' Association stated in the PIL
The resolution further clarified that the abstention from court work is purely a peaceful demonstration to raise awareness among citizens about the implications of the recent hike.
"The protest is only aimed at raising awareness among the people about the grave injustice that is caused to them by these changes." – Excerpt from the Association’s resolution
At the same time, the Association expressed hope that no adverse judicial orders will be passed due to their non-appearance in courts on the protest day. They emphasized that this move is not against the judiciary but against a policy that threatens the foundational principles of the justice delivery system.
