Judiciary Committee to inquire how MVR 20,000 was set as bar exam fee

Parliament’s Judiciary Committee has decided to inquire from Bar Council how they have set MVR 20,000 as the fee for the bar exam.

The issue of bar exam fee was submitted to Judiciary Committee by Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Usham through a letter. At a convening of the Committee held today, members unanimously decided to inquire from Bar Council how they had set the fee.

In his letter, MP Usham listed MVR 20,000 being too expensive for the bar exam fee as his main concern.

Speaking at today’s Judiciary Committee meeting, Fonadhoo MP Moosa Siraj said that regulation of the legal sector had become worse following the inception of Bar Council.

MP Siraj also alleged that Bar Council’s decision-making continues to infringe the rights of lawyers instead of protecting and ensuring them.  

“Always seeing decisions being made in a more destructive manner which infringe the rights of lawyers instead of addressing the issue,” he had said.

At the end of March, Bar Council announced MVR 20,000 per candidate as the bar exam fee. However, Bar Council President Uz. Maumoon Hameed said that students would only need to cover 50 percent of the fee – being MVR 10,000. Bar Council is set to cover the remaining MVR 10,000.

MP Siraj proposed to the Committee to request Bar Council to detail how they had set bar exam fee at today’s convening – which was passed by its members.

Speaking at the meeting, Feydhoo MP Mohamed Nihad described Bar Council as an institution making the lives of law students difficult. He also added that he feels the Bar Council should be dissolved.

“As of today, we have only seen Bar Council harass these students. As I believe, the Bar Council has been making things more difficult for students since their inception. I feel that the Bar Council should now be dissolved,” he had said.