The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Union of India on a writ petition challenging the imposition of fees for filing pro bono public interest litigations before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing the plea which raises concerns over the financial burden placed on individuals pursuing environmental causes.

The petitioner has assailed provisions of the NGT (Practice and Procedure) Rules, 2011, along with related notifications and office orders, contending that the prescribed fee structure covering applications, appeals, and miscellaneous filings creates a barrier to access to justice, particularly for pro bono litigants.

It was argued that the requirement to pay fees, coupled with additional costs such as online filing and documentation charges, discourages citizens from approaching the NGT in matters concerning environmental protection, thereby undermining the constitutional mandate to ensure effective access to justice.

Taking note of the submissions, the Court issued notice to the Union, seeking its response. The matter will be considered further on the next date of hearing.

Appearances: 

⁠For the Petitioner: Siddharth R. Gupta (Adv.); Mrigank Prabhakar (Adv.) ; Aman Agarwal (Adv.) ; Shantanu Sharma (Adv.); Surbhi Saxena (Adv.) ; ⁠⁠Uddaish Palya (Adv.); Astha Singh (Adv.)