What Was The First Remuneration Of CJI Chandrachud As Lawyer?

What was the first salary or remuneration of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud when he first started his career as an advocate? Well, he himself spoke about it during a hearing on Monday.

The CJI said that he had charged Rs 60 from his first client. He had started practice in the Bombay High Court after returning from Harvard way back in 1986.

In that year, his inaugural case landed him before Justice Sujata Manohar for an urgent hearing. He received a fee of Rs 60.

Back then, lawyers typically didn't request payment in Indian rupees; instead, they preferred compensation in gold 'mohar', like during the colonial times, according to a report in NDTV.

Those days one gold mohar was valued at about Rs 15. A young Chandrachud marked '4 GM' on the docket and received a fee of Rs 60, the report added.

Sources told the website that this practice persisted in the Bombay High Court until 25 years ago. In the Calcutta High Court, the price of one gold mohar was Rs 16.

How much is CJI earning today?

The Chief Justice of India is granted a monthly salary of Rs. 2,80,000 along with an annual pension including Dearness Allowance (DA) amounting to Rs. 16,80,000.

Additionally, a gratuity of Rs. 20,000,000 is awarded. Various allowances such as Furnishing Allowance of Rs. 10,000, House Rent Allowance (HRA) set at 24 percent of the basic pay, and a Sumptuary Allowance of Rs. 45,000 are also provided to the Chief Justice of India. These salaries and benefits are funded by the Consolidated Funds of India.

The topic of the CJI's salary was revealed during the hearing of pleas challenging "exorbitant" fees being levied by state bar bodies for the purpose.

The Supreme Court said on Monday that not more than Rs 600 can be charged for enrolling law graduates as advocates across the country, as it reserved its verdict on the issue.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala referred to Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961 and said the fee for a law graduate to be enrolled as a lawyer is Rs 600 and Parliament alone can increase it by amending the law.

Reserving the judgement on as many as 10 petitions, a panel consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala cited Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961. They affirmed that the fee for law graduates seeking enrollment as lawyers is Rs 600, and only Parliament has the authority to amend the law to increase it.

"Nothing can be charged in excess of Rs 600... If you want to increase the enrolment fee, then it is for Parliament to increase the enrolment fee," the bench said after hearing lawyers from both sides, including senior advocate and chairperson of the Bar Council of India (BCI) Manan Kumar Mishra.