Following the Law Students’ Union of Sri Lanka (LSUSL) raising concerns over the recent increases in various types of fees charged by the Sri Lanka Law College (SLLC), the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) stated that the increases are not “abrupt” and the relevant decision was made collectively by the Council of Legal Education (CLE).
Speaking to The Daily Morning last week, LSUSL President Shenal Wijesinghe said that various types of fees, including that for the General Entrance Examination charged by the SLLC, have been raised through an Extraordinary Gazette dated 5 January 2023.
As the BASL has representation in the said council, The Daily Morning contacted BASL President Kaushalya Nawaratne and queried regarding the matter. He said that the revision of fees by the SLLC, considering the present economic situation, is not an “abrupt” one. “The SLLC is one of the leading professional bodies in the country, and the fees charged by the SLLC should be compared with those charged by other professional bodies. It was after considering all such matters that the fees were revised.”
Although certain parties have raised concerns over the matter, he said that the relevant decision was collectively made by the council, after considering the submissions made by all the relevant parties. “One has to think whether someone can get qualified as an accountant or a doctor at a low expense. Therefore, if someone is unhappy or is of the view that their rights have been violated, that is a matter that has to be raised before a court of law. What we can say is that this is not an abrupt decision and that this has been debated and made after considering all submissions.”
According to the relevant gazette notification, the general entrance examination fee of the SLLC, which was Rs. 6,000, has been increased to Rs. 15,000 (250%); the preliminary year fee, which was Rs. 18,900, has been raised to Rs. 67,500 (357%); the intermediate year fee, which was Rs. 15,000, has been raised to Rs. 40,500 (270%); the final year fee, which was Rs. 19,500, has been raised to Rs. 55,500 (284%); the practical training fee, which was Rs. 6,000, has been raised to Rs. 25,000 (416%); the examination fee (per paper), which was Rs. 1,000, has been raised to Rs. 2,500 (250%); the late registration fee, which was Rs. 2,000, has been raised to Rs. 15,000 (750%); the renewal fee, which was Rs. 2,500, has been raised to Rs. 15,000 (600%); the late exam registration fee, which was Rs. 1,000, has been raised to Rs. 15,000 (1,500%); the medical withdrawal fee, which was Rs. 500, has been raised to Rs. 2,000 (400%); the non-medical withdrawal fee, which was Rs. 1,000, has been raised to Rs. 5,000 (500%); the transcript fee, which was Rs. 2,000, has been raised to Rs. 7,500 (375%), and the studentship and visa confirmation fee, which was Rs. 500, has been raised to Rs. 7,500 (1,500%).
The SLLC is the only legal institution where one can enrol as an attorney-at-law (AAL) in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then-CLE. In order to practice law in Sri Lanka, a lawyer must be admitted and enrolled as an AAL of the Supreme Court. To receive admission to the bar, a law student must complete law exams held by the SLLC, followed by a practical training course combined with an apprenticeship, which is roughly six months.