Delhi High Court appealed to senior lawyers at the Bar to ensure that a good stipend is paid to their juniors to enable them to lead a dignified life.

Case: Pankaj Kumar v Bar Council of Delhi and Ors
Bench: A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad
 
The Delhi High Court appealed to senior lawyers at the Bar to ensure that a good stipend is paid to their juniors to lead a dignified life. Further asked seniors to be conscious of the financial backgrounds of their juniors and have a more empathetic approach.
 
FACTS
The Court heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition emphasizing the difficulties faced by young lawyers. In the complaint, the plaintiff contended that newly enrolled advocates could not maintain themselves in Delhi and were unable to arrange for accommodation, food, travel, and other expenses without a proper and consistent income.
 
Recently, the Bar Council of India issued a notification granting a minimum stipend for the first three years of practice for all young advocates. It has been reported to the Court that many junior advocates are not paid anything by their seniors, which prevents them from concentrating on their profession.
 
The petitioner cited a survey conducted by a legal policy think tank, 79% of advocates with less than two years experience at the Bar earn less than Rs 10,000 per month across seven High Courts. Further, there is the unavailability of space for newly enrolled advocates to entertain their clients, and there are no directions to accommodate the newly enrolled advocates in the chambers.
 
HELD
 
Despite the problems young lawyers face, a writ of mandamus cannot be issued to the Bar Councils of Delhi and India to provide a stipend to young law graduates.
 
It can only make an earnest appeal.