MULTAN - The Lahore High Court (LHC) Multan Bench on Wednesday issued notice to Advocate General Punjab for Aug 8, 2024, the next date of hearing, on a petition challenging recent increase in the court fee. The petition filed by a law student Izama Taneer through advocate Syed Riaz Ul Hassan Gilani, citing Punjab government through Punjab Chief Secretary, Punjab Finance Secretary and Punjab Secretary Law and Parliamentary Affairs as respondents, came up for hearing before Justice Raheel Kamran of Lahore High Court Multan Bench on Wednesday.
The petitioner said that Punjab government had increased court fee on June 26, 2024, adding that the Rs1 court fee was increased up to Rs100 and Rs2 up to Rs200. The petitioner’s counsel argued: “In a landmark case of ‘Chenab Textile Mills Versus the State’ reported in PLD 1991 SC 467, the Supreme Court of Pakistan affirmed that the right to justice must remain accessible to all citizens, emphasising that economic barrier should not obstruct this fundamental right, the court held that any action by the state that impedes access to justice through undue financial constraints is unconstitutional.”
He further stated that the global access to justice is recognised as fundamental human right, the universal declaration of human rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, asserts that everyone is entitled to an effective remedy for violations of their rights. The petitioner prayed that the court fee hike may be declared illegal, null and void.
