Where will money come from: Court on plea for Rs 5,000 stipend for junior lawyers
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday questioned the maintainability of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 for junior lawyers who have not completed three years of practice, observing that the plea lacked genuine public interest."It cannot be a public interest. 'All law candidates' does not mean the public at large. How is society in general concerned in giving stipend to you?" remarked a bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne during the hearing.advertisementThe court further raised practical and financial concerns about the proposal, asking, "Where will the money come from? Why Rs 5,000? You should get Rs 25,000. In Mumbai, one should get Rs 45,000. But who will give? Have you thought of it? What is the statutory duty under which the Bar Council is obliged to give the stipend? How do we give it, even if we think you should get it?"
Advocate Uday Warunjikar, appearing for the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, informed the court that while some Bar Councils in other states had received support from their respective state governments, the Maharashtra government had declined a request for assistance in creating a financial corpus.The bench noted that the Bar Council had estimated a requirement of Rs 1.55 crore to fund such a stipend scheme but lacked the necessary resources. "Funds are required and that is a vital aspect," the bench observed.advertisementThe court also took note of the fact that the petition had been filed in 2021 by lawyers who were then within the three-year threshold but had since crossed that mark. Addressing the petitioners' counsel, the bench said, "You would have completed three years of work experience yourselves by now. You appoint three juniors and now you should pay Rs 40,000 to your juniors. Lead by example. This is a laudable object, but there is practical difficulty."Granting the petitioners two weeks' time, the court allowed them to make further submissions on the issue before proceeding with a final decision.- EndsMust Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Evening News Wrap: Telangana factory blast death toll rises to 12; police say Kolkata rape attack was 'premeditated'; and more
A deadly factory blast in Telangana claimed 12 lives as a building collapsed after an explosion. In Kolkata, police confirmed the shocking rape case at a law college was premeditated. Gunmen struck again in Manipur, killing four including a 60-year-old woman. Meanwhile, political buzz intensified in Karnataka with hints of a leadership shake-up from the Congress high command. On the economic front, GST collections hit a historic high, doubling in just five years to Rs 22.08 lakh crore. Here's a rundown of the day's key developments. Telangana factory blast : Toll rises to 12; situation worsened after 3-story building collapsed, says govt State health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha announced on Monday that 12 people have died in the major reactor explosion at Sigachi Industries Pvt Ltd in Pashamylaram, Telangana. About 65 personnel were at the site when the explosion happened, resulting in the collapse of a three-story industrial structure. When Rajanarsimha visited the scene, he described the tragedy as "sad and unfortunate" and promised the injured full medical treatment. Kolkata rape case: Police say attack was 'premeditated'; victim targeted from day one of admission A police inspector said on Monday that three of the four individuals detained in connection with the alleged gang rape of a female student at a law college in Kolkata had premeditated the conduct. "Everything about it was planned. For days, the three of them had been planning how to torment the victim. The news agency PTI cited the officer as stating, "We have discovered that the victim was singled out by the prime accused from the day she was admitted to the college." Gunmen open fire on vehicle in Manipur: 4 killed in Churachandpur, including elderly woman Unknown gunmen opened fire on a car close to Mongjang village in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Monday afternoon, killing at least four persons, including a 60-year-old woman, according to police, PTI said. The victims were traveling in a car about 7 km from Churachandpur town when the ambush happened at 2:00 pm. The attackers fired at close range, officials said. According to the preliminary inquiry, they were shot at close range, according to a senior police officer at the district headquarters in Churachandpur. New CM in Karnataka? Mallikarjun Kharge gives 'high command' hint; Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar put up united front The Karnataka government's potential leadership transition was alluded to by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday, who stated that the "party high command has got the power" to act. Kharge responded, "See, that is in the hands of the high command," to the mounting rumors that the chief minister would be replaced in October. What is happening in the top command cannot be discussed here. The high command is in charge of this. "High command has the authority to take additional measures. However, one should avoid causing unnecessary trouble," he continued. Double in just 5 years! Gross GST collections hit a record high of Rs 22.08 lakh crore in FY25 GST collections have doubled in five years. Gross GST (Goods and Services Tax) receipts in the 2024–25 fiscal year hit a new high of Rs 22.08 lakh crore, according to government data released on Monday. This represents a tremendous growth from Rs 11.37 lakh crore in FY21, practically doubling in only five years. From Rs 1.68 lakh crore in FY24 and Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY22, the average monthly collection climbed to Rs 1.84 lakh crore in FY25, a notable gain. Over the course of eight years, the number of registered taxpayers under the GST system has grown significantly, from 65 lakh in 2017 to over 1.51 crore.
Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
SC refuses to entertain Lalit Modi's plea seeking that BCCI pay penalty imposed on him by ED
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition filed by former Indian Premier League chairperson Lalit Modi seeking directions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to pay a Rs 10.65 crore penalty imposed on him by the Enforcement Directorate for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act, Live Law reported. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan said that Modi could pursue civil remedies seeking indemnification. The bench was dealing with an appeal filed by the former IPL chairperson against a Bombay High Court order dismissing his plea, Bar and Bench reported. Modi has been under investigation by Indian authorities for alleged foreign exchange violations and a Rs 425-crore television rights deal for the 2009 edition of the IPL with World Sports Group. He fled India after attending only one interrogation session with the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate officials in Mumbai. In 2018, the Enforcement Directorate imposed a fine of Rs 121.56 crore on several entities, including the BCCI, its then chairperson N Srinivasan and others. Out of this amount, Modi had been ordered to pay Rs 10.65 crore, Bar and Bench reported. The penalty, which was part of the larger Enforcement Directorate investigation into the 2009 edition of the IPL, was imposed after it was alleged that over Rs 243 crore was allegedly transferred outside India in contravention of Foreign Exchange Management Act regulations. On December 19, the High Court had dismissed a petition filed by Modi seeking an order to the BCCI to pay the penalty, calling it 'frivolous' and 'wholly misconceived', PTI reported. It also imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on Modi. In his petition, Modi had said that he served as the BCCI vice president and the chairperson of the IPL governing council when the alleged violations took place. He argued that on this account, the BCCI was obligated to indemnify him under its bylaws. However, the High Court, citing a 2005 Supreme Court ruling, said that the BCCI was not considered a 'state' under Article 12 of the Constitution and hence no writ could be issued against it, PTI reported. Modi subsequently filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision. In the Supreme Court on Monday, the bench reiterated that the BCCI was not a 'state' under Article 12 and hence not directly amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226, except in certain limited functional public duties like organising sports events, Live Law reported.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Fourth chargesheet filed in Chhattisgarh liquor scam case
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh State Economic Offences Investigation Bureau on Monday filed a fourth chargesheet in the liquor scam case at the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act). The chargesheet, approximately 1,200 pages long, was filed against arrested accused Kawasi Lakhma, according to officials. Lakhma served as the Excise Minister in the Chhattisgarh government from 2019 to 2023. Investigation, evidence, and financial analysis conclusively prove Lakhma, despite holding a responsible constitutional post, not only grossly neglected his duties but also used his ministerial powers to interfere in policy decisions, influence official postings, manipulate tender processes, and establish a parallel system of cash transactions. He operated the entire departmental system through corruption. A well-planned scam was executed through departmental officials, associates, and contractors under his patronage. Funds acquired through these acts were used for personal and family gain, yielding significant undue profit. So far, the investigation has confirmed Lakhma received Rs 64 crore as his share from the excise scam. Documented evidence of illegal investment/expenditure of Rs 18 crore has been obtained. Including this, a total of four chargesheets have been presented in court, along with three supplementary chargesheets. Thirteen accused have been arrested in connection with the case. Investigation in the matter is ongoing.
