Author: Sanyam Garg, a 2nd Year, BA LLB(Hons.) at, Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, NMIMS University, Mumbai
Introduction
On July 18th, 2026 the Bar Council of India (BCI) introduced the Draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for people to comment on. They called it a profession-first change to the Advocates Act, 1961. Among many parts of the draft one part has gotten the biggest reaction from law schools and bar associations. It is a thirty times increase in the enrolment fee to enrol an advocate. The fee would go from ₹750 to ₹22,500. The proposed law has been given to advocates, law universities, State Bar Councils and the General public for suggestions. Suggestions can be submitted until July 31st, 2026. For now it is a proposal. It will only become a law after it gets approved by Parliament. The numbers involved and what they mean for a new graduate entering the profession need to be looked at closely before that happens.
What the Draft Bill is About
The Bill wants to change Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961. This section deals with the conditions and fees for enrolment as an advocate. Under the plan the total fee of ₹22,500 would be split into ₹18,000 for the State Bar Council and ₹4,500 for the BCI. The BCI says this change is needed because of the Supreme Courts decisions in Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India and Pankaj Sinha v. Bar Council of India. Both of those cases showed that the current fee was not enough to cover the needs of the bar.
Along with the fee increase the draft includes several changes. It wants to give law firms recognition for the first time under the Advocates Act. It wants to make them into organizations where advocates can work together. It also wants to make the rules about lawyers stricter. The BCI would be able to register and control groups that do not work with Indian law. The draft also wants to create funds and trusts. These would help with pensions, health insurance and emergency help for younger lawyers. It also offers a 75% discount on fees for people from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and disability groups who face financial problems. The 2026 draft left out some parts that were in the 2025 version. These parts included penalties for advocates who go on strike and having government people on Bar Councils. These parts had caused a lot of problems with the community.
The Reciprocity Principle for Foreign Lawyers
One of the changes is how foreign lawyers and law firms are treated. The Bill is based on a principle called reciprocity. If a country allows Indian lawyers to practice there then India will let lawyers from that country practice here. If a country does not let Indian lawyers practice there then India will stop lawyers from that country from practicing. This way of doing things is meant to protect the bar and still allow real cross-border legal help.
Why the Fee Hike Is Hard to Justify
It is not wrong for the BCI and the State Bar Councils to want money. Running welfare programs, checking degrees, keeping records and handling insurance and pension benefits all cost money. ₹750 has not kept up with inflation over years but a thirty times jump, from ₹750 to ₹22,500 is not a small change. It is a change in how much it costs to get into the legal profession in India. It hits people who’re in most cases not able to handle it.
Think about what young law graduates deal with. They often intern for free or very little during their time in Law School. This is seen as a part of the process not as real work. Once they are done with the degree many new lawyers, those who choose litigation earn between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 a month in the early years. In Metro cities rent alone takes a big part of that. This is barely enough to live on. It is not enough to pay for a one-time fee of ₹22,500 when they start their career.
A Fee Higher Than a Law Degree
Maybe the best way to understand how much this increase is to compare it to the cost of a law degree. The Government Law College, Mumbai is one of the most respected law schools charges about ₹18,000 for the whole three-year LLB course. The three-year LLB at Delhi University costs about ₹18,030 for the degree. The University of Allahabad’s LLM program costs between ₹22,000 and ₹30,000 depending on the specialisation field. This is for the whole postgraduate degree, not just a single semester.
These are not underfunded schools. They are one of the best Law Schools in the country that have produced many great legal minds. Now the cost to enrol as an advocate is the same as or higher than the cost of a three-year degree from these schools. For a graduate from Government Law College Mumbai or Delhi University the new fee would mean paying the amount in one go that they paid over three years of education.
Concessions Are Welcome But They Do Not Address the Core Issue
The draft does include some help. A 75% discount for people from SC/ST groups and those with disabilities who need help is a step. It shows that the BCI understands that a fee this high could stop some people from joining the profession bur this help is limited. It does not help the graduates who face the same unpaid internships, the same low pay and the same high living costs in metro cities where most legal work is done. A law that is supposed to help the bar and support lawyers is a bit of a contradiction if the fee is too high for those very young lawyers to afford. This is a conflict that should be fixed before the law is passed.
The Way Forward
None of this means the fee should stay at ₹750 forever or that the BCI’s ideas for welfare are wrong. The Bar Councils need money to do their functions smoothly. The size of any increase should fit what the profession can afford. It should not just be what the Council wants. A slow increase will be more helpful for people with low income or a lower one-time fee, with small yearly charges could get the same money without making it hard for law graduates to start their careers.
The consultation period is still open until July 31st, 2026. The Bill needs approval, from Parliament before it becomes a law. That time is when advocates, law students and bar associations should speak up. Not after the fee is written into the law. Now while the fee can still be changed.
