MP High Court Orders Bar Council to Frame Guidelines for Junior Advocates' Minimum Stipend
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the State Bar Council, in consultation with the MP High Court Bar Association and MP High Court Advocates' Bar Association, to create guidelines for minimum stipend payments to junior advocates for 3 years from their engagement.
The court noted that the Bar Council of India's October 2024 circular recommending ₹20,000 monthly in urban areas and ₹15,000 in rural areas was only recommendatory. The single judge bench observed that the state bar council, as a regulatory body, bears responsibility for ensuring junior advocates are adequately compensated for their work and expenses.
The court also directed the bar council to conduct an enquiry into why five senior advocates in the case were not paying stipends to their junior counsel, and to ensure all junior advocates receive stipends for their work.
