Supreme Court to examine whether ad valorem court fee without a ceiling is valid, in Kerala fee hike case

16 October 2026

The Supreme Court issued notice on a Special Leave Petition by the Kerala High Court Advocates Association against increases in Kerala court fees.
The notice is limited to the question whether ad valorem court fees without an upper ceiling are valid.
The petition challenges amendments made by the Kerala Finance Act, 2025, to the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959.
The Kerala High Court had dismissed the Association's public interest litigation on 31 October 2025 and upheld the amendments, holding that it had not been shown that the fees denied access to justice or violated Articles 14 and 21.
The Association says the increases range from about 400 per cent to nearly 9,900 per cent, with the fee on an anticipatory bail application rising from Rs 10 to Rs 500, writ petitions from Rs 100 to Rs 500 and writ appeals from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000.
The Association also challenges Section 73A, which exempts the State Government from court fees, and the matter was heard by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.