The Bombay High Court’s Kolhapur Bench has issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG) regarding a petition seeking a structured financial assistance scheme for junior advocates. A Division Bench of Justices Milind Jadhav and Nandesh Deshpande has directed the respondents to file their responses by August 24, specifying the measures taken or proposed to provide financial assistance to advocates with less than three years of practice.
The court observed that the issues raised by the petitioners merited consideration in the larger interest of the young advocate community. It noted that the Supreme Court had described the first two or three years of practice as a period of turmoil that often compels capable advocates to abandon the profession. The petitioners relied on a Bar Council of India (BCI) circular recommending a monthly stipend of ₹20,000 for junior advocates practising in urban areas and ₹15,000 for those in rural areas.
Advocate Asim Sarode, representing the petitioners, argued that the BCMG had not taken meaningful steps to implement these recommendations. The petitioners also referred to the Supreme Court’s June 19, 2026, judgment in Sarika Tyagi & Ors. vs Union of India, which observed that the lack of financial support during the early years of practice could lead to a
