The Kerala High Court on Friday upheld the State government’s decision to increase the court fee.
It dismissed a plea by the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association challenging the increase in the court fees. The hike had been proposed in the 2025-26 Budget Speech and was subsequently implemented through the Kerala Finance Act, 2025.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji said that the State Legislature has the legislative competence to revise the fee, which is being done after over two decades. A broad correlation between the collection of court fee and the expenditure of the administration of justice is all that is necessary. The State has placed material on record to demonstrate the devaluation of the rupee and the increased expenditure on the administration of justice. The devaluation of the rupee, inflation and the passage of time are relevant factors to be taken into account while considering the revision of court fees, the court said.
The court added that the State government has the power to grant full or partial exemption from the payment of court fees to a particular class of persons. Having carried out the exercise of revising court fees, the State government may consider whether any circumstances exist that warrant granting full or partial exemption to a particular class or category based on social or financial criteria.
Published – October 31, 2025 08:45 pm IST
