The Hindu : Bill to hike court fees passed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Bill to hike court fees passed

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 13 . The State Assembly today passed the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation (Amendment) Bill, 2002, which replaces an Ordinance of the same title promulgated in October last to increase the court fees.

The Bill, on its return from the Subject Committee of the House, to which it was referred in July last, was passed 58 votes in favour, 27 votes against.

The Law Minister, K.M. Mani, who piloted the Bill, said the increase in court fees (introduced through the Ordinance) was quite reasonable and in tune with what had been done in almost all other States long time back. During the tenure of the LDF Government itself, there was a proposal to increase the court fees. Most of the points in that proposal had been included in the Bill, he added.

The Subject Committee's report on the Bill had a dissenting note from one of its members, the Kerala Congress (J) MLA, P.C. George.

In the Assembly today, Mr. George said the hike in court fees proposed by the Bill was in the range of 100 to 150 per cent. Such a steep increase would place the courts beyond the reach of the weaker sections of society, he added. The deputy leader of the Opposition, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said the Bill was the reflection of the Antony Government's present policy of turning everything into a commercial proposition.

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