No waiver of fees to transgender as lawyers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea for waiver of the registration/enrollment fees for transgenders as lawyers by the statutory Bar bodies for enrollment, holding that such issues do not fall under the parameters of the judicial review.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said that the parameters of judicial review did not allow constitutional courts to pass orders such as waiver of enrolment fees.

“You cannot say that you do not charge an enrollment fee. Why just transgender persons, why not extend this to women, disabled and marginalised persons,” the CJI asked. “You must understand the parameters of judicial review.” The bench asked why only in the legal profession, such fee waiver should be extended to the medical field also, and said it would dismiss the plea.

The counsel for petitioner M Karpagam then decided to withdraw the petition.

The top court permitted Karpagam to give a representation to this effect to the Bar Council of India, the apex statutory body of lawyers.