Giving justification for enhanced court fees for corporate cases in the apex court, the Parliamentary Standing Committee says that the big corporate houses are getting remedy by paying negligible court fees fixed in the Supreme Court whereas the major portion of court time and resources are utilized for that purpose. The Committee maintains that the corporate houses could afford to spend huge amount of money for engaging senior counsels to get justice but paying negligible fees to the state.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee opines that the revenue thus generated by increasing court fees can be utilized by the Supreme Court of India for improving the basic amenities for judges and court infrastructure. The surplus fund, if any, can be utilized for improving the facilities of the subordinate judiciary keeping in view that it is the sovereign duty of the Government to provide free criminal justice, the Committee added.

The question now arises whether the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government will go ahead with such proposal, given its pro business and pro corporate houses credential and image!

The Committee further recommended making the court fees neutral by ad valorem system as available for all civil and commercial courts in the States and Union Territories.

In the current financial year 2015-16, budgetary allocation for the Supreme Court of India is Rs.155 crores, against the projected demand of the apex court for Rs.188.29 crores.