Make minimum stipend mandatory, say jr lawyers
Times of India | 18 October 2024The BCI notified all state bar councils of the minimum stipend recommendation on Oct 15.
“It should be mandatory to give stipends to junior lawyers,” said advocate Ritesh Chowdhury while stating that even today, juniors get paid Rs 200-300 per day by senior advocates and the starting salary for those working for firms is Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per month.
Another junior lawyer, who is working independently in high court, said: “If you are from a middle-class or a lower middle-class family who has pumped in savings to study in a law college, an earning of Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 is insufficient and hardly enough for household expenses, forget running a family.”
Former West Bengal Bar Council VC Siddharth Mukhopadhyay said: “The idea is good but what about the implementation? Advocates seeking assistance of junior lawyers are earning approximately Rs 60,000 a month, how will they afford to pay Rs 20,000 to their juniors? Big firms may be able to pay such an amount. Hence, it would have been better if they had segregated minimum stipend as per big and small firms.”
He also pointed out that the notification stated that junior lawyers who do not receive the stipulated stipend may file a complaint with the Bar Council but that may give rise to animosity.
