CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR.versusSTATE OF KERALA & ORS.

                         [2016] 7 S.C.R. 917


   CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR.                                A
                                  v.
                   STATE OF KERALA & ORS.
                   (Civil Appeal No. 4453 of2008)
                       SEPTEMBEROl,2016                                   B
  [A.K. SIKRI, S.A. BOBDE AND ASIIOK BHUSHAN, JJ.]
       Kera/a Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act. 1959 - s. 76 -
Notification under, levying additional court fee in respect of each
appeal or revision filed under Kera/a General Sales Tax Act,19631
Kercila Value Added Tax Act,2003 and for the amount so collected
                                                                          c
to be credited to the Kera/a Legal Benefit Fund - Appellants, dealers
under the aforesaid Acts, challenged vires of notification, also
contending that the levy was in nature of tax and the element of
service/quid pro quo 11·as absent as !he addilional court fee collected
from assessees like appellants is used for bene.fil of advocates and      D
not for benefit of litigants - High Court upheld the validity of
notification - On appeal, held: Impugned notificalion is intra vires
the provision of s. 76 - The levy of additional court fee is meant for
Legal Benefit Fund which is utilised for providing an efficient legal
service for the people of the State and to provide social security
                                                                          E
measures for legal profession - Providing efficient legal services
for the people of the State amounts to quid pro quo - Therefore,
appellants' argument that the levy in question is in nature of tax
and there is no quid pro quo is devoid of any meril - Kera/a Court
Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959 - s.3(ii) - Kera/a Legal Benefit
Fund Rules, 1991 - rr. 3, 4 - Kera/a Advocates ' Welfare Fund Act,        F
1980 - s.3(2)(e) - Kera/a Advocates' Welfare Fund Rules, 1981 -
Kera/a General Sales Tax Act, 1963 - Kera/a Value Added Tax Act,
2003 - Constitution of India - 42'"1 Amendmellf, 1976 - Entry JJA,
List III - Entry 3, List II - Art. 39-A. Part IV - Directive Principles
of State Policy .
                                                                          G
      Ad111i11is1ration of justice - Role of advoca/es - Discussed.
      Dismissing the appeal and the writ petitions, the Court
      HELD: 1.1 In terms of clause (e) of sub-section (2) of
Section 3 ofKcralaAdvocatcs'Wclfare .Fund Act, 1980 the amount
                                                                          H
                                 917
918            SUPREME COURT REPORTS                     [2016) 7 S.C.R.


A     set apart from the Legal Benefit Fund constituted under Section
      76 of the CF Act is to be credited to the Advocates' Welfare Fund,
      for providing efficient legal services for the people of the State
      and social security measures for the legal profession. In nutshell,
      the additional court fee is meant for the aforesaid Welfare Fund
      which is to be utilised in accordance with the provisions of the
B
      Welfare Fund Act. From the reading of said provisions it is clear
      that the impugned notification has been issued in exercise of
      powers contained under Section 76 of Kerala Court Fees and
      Suits Valuation Act, 1959 (CF Act). This power extends to levy
      additional court fee by tribunals and other appellate authorities
c     constituted by or under any special law. The impugned notification,
      therefore, is intra vires the provision of Section 76 of the CF Act.
      [Paras 7, 8] [924-B-E]
            Chacko/as Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd. v. State of
            Kera/a (2006) 1 KLT 989 - referred to.
 D           1.2 The main argument of the appellants that the additional
      court fee which is to be paid on the appeals etc. which are to be
      filed either under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act or the Kerala
      Value Added Tax Act by virtue of the aforesaid notification, have
      no nexus with the object and, therefore, it docs not have any
 E    character of 'fee' as no services arc provided to the litigants in
      return is devoid of any merit. It is submitted that since such
      additional court fee collected from the assessees like the
      appellants is used for the benefit of advocates and no benefit
      thereof accrues 10 the litigants, charging of such additional court
      fee is impermissible as it amounts to compulso1·y exaction of
 F    money from the appellants. [Paras 9, 10) (924-E-G, H; 925-H]
             1.3 First of all, the argument of the appellants ignores that
      as per Section 76(3) of the CF Act, one of the purposes for which
      the Fund is to be utilised is for providing efficient legal services
      for the people of the State. It clearly amounts to quid pro <1110.
 G    Other purpose is also for the benefit of the public at large.
      Providing social security to the legal profession becomes an
      essential part of any legal system which has to be effective,
      efficient and robust to enable it to provide necessary service to
      the consumers of justice. In a sound and able system of
 H    administration of justice, all the stakeholders in the said legal
 CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR. v.                                  919
           STATE OF KERALA & ORS.

system need to be taken care of. Legal community and advocates               A
are inseparable and important part of robust legal system and
they not only aid in seeking justice but also promoted justice.
Judges cannot perform their task without the able support of
advocates. In that sense, advocates play an important role in the
administration of justice. [Paras 11, 12][925-G-H; 926-A-B, D-E]
                                                                              B
      1.4 Section 76 of the CF Act and the impugned notification
by which additional court fee is imposed have a direct nexus to
the objective sought to be achieved in relation to the service
available to the appellants or others who approached the courts/
tribunals for redressal of their grievances. [Para 12) [926-E]
                                                                              c
                        Case Law Reference
(2!)06) 1 KLT 969                referred to                  Para 1
     CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 4453
of2008.
                                                                              D
From the Judgment and Order dated 13.07.2007 of the High Court of
Kerala at Ernakulam in Writ Appeal No. 1702 of2007.
                                 WITH
W. P. (C) No. 514 OF 2009
                                                                              E
W. P. (C) No.490 OF 2011                            ·,
      V. K. Sidharthan, Shabu Sreedharan, Parijat Sinha, Ms. Reshmi
Rea Sinha, Joydeep Majumdar, Hrishikesh Baruah, Advs. for the
Appellant.
      Manu Krishnan, C. K. Sasi, Advs. for the Respondents.                   F
      The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
      A. K. SIKRI, J. I. The two appellants before us in Civil Appeal
No. 4453 of2008, who are the registered dealers under the Kerala General
Sales Tax Act, 1963 and/or the Kerala Value Added Tax Act, 2003 in the
State of Kerala. They challenged the vires of S.R.O. No. 226 of 2002          G
dated April 05, 2002 issued by the Government ofKerala in exercise of
powers under Section 76( I) of the Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation
Act, 1959 (hereinafter referred to as the 'CF Act') whereby the
Government authorised the tribunals and appellate authorities constituted
by or under special or local law, other than civil and criminal courts, to
                                                                              H
920             SUPREME COURT REPORTS                             [2016] 7 S.C.R.


A     levy additional cou1t fee in respect of each appeal or revision at the rate
      of0.5% of the amount involved in the dispute in cases where it is capable
      of valuation, and at the rate of' 50 in other cases. This n_otification
      further provides that the amount so collected shall be credited to the
      Kerala Legal Benefit Fund constituted under sub-section (2) of Section
      76 of the CF Act. The main contention of the appellants was that the
B
      aforesaid levy is in the nature of compulsory exaction/tax and the element
      of service/quid pro quo was absent and, therefore, such a fee cannot
      be charged. The High Court has repelled the challenge thereby upholding
      the validity of the said notification following its earlier judgment in
      Chacko/as Spinning & Weaving Mills Ltd. v. Stale of Kem/a, 2006
c     (I) KLT 989, vide its judgment dated July 13, 2007. This judgment of
      the High Court is challenged in this appeal on the same grounds. Subject
      matter of the two writ petitions is also identical.
            2. Before coming to the detailed submissions in this behalf, it
      would be apposite to take note of the relevant provisions of the CF Act
D     as well as terms of the notification dated April 05, 2002.
             3. The CF Act relates to court fees and valuation of suits in the
      State of Kerala. The court fee calculated as per the provision of the
      said Act has to be paid in respect of various kinds of proceedings initiated
      in a court of law in the State. Clause (ii) of Section 3 defines 'court' and
E     reads as under:
             ""Court" means any Civil, Revenue, or Criminal Court and includes
             a Tribunal or other authority havingjurisdiction under any special
             or local law to decide questions affecting the rights of parties;"
             It is clear from the aforesaid definition that within the ambit of the
 F    CF Act, it is not only civil or criminal courts but also revenue authorities,
      including the tribunal or other authority having jurisdiction under any
      special or local laws, to decide questions affecting the rights of the parties.
      Thus, revenue courts as well as tribunals, when such bodies are deciding
      questions affecting the rights of the parties, are treated as 'court· for
0     the purpose of CF Act. Fee prescribed under the said Act becomes
      payable in respect of proceedings before these authorities as well.
             4. Section 76 of the CF Act, under which the impugned notification
      is issued, deals with 'Legal Benefit Fund' and makes the following
      reading:
H
  CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR. v.                                    921
       STATE OF KERALA & ORS. [A. K. SIKRI, J.]

       "76. Legal Benefit Fund. -                                                A
      (I) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other
      law for the time being in force, it shall be competent for
      Government to levy an additional court fee, by notification in the
      Gazette, in respect of appeals or revisions to tribunals or appellate
      authorities, other than Civil and Criminal Courts, at a rate not           B
      exceeding one per cent of the amount involved in the dispute in
      cases where it is capable of valuation and in other cases at a rate
      not exceeding one hundred rupees for each appeal or revision.
      (2) There stiall be constituted a legal benefit fund to which shall
      be credited -                                                              C
          (i) the proceeds of the additional court-fee levied and collected
          under sub-section (I);
          (ii) fifty per cent of the court fees levied and collected on
          mukhtarnama or vakalathnama under Article 16 of Schedule
          II of th is Act.                                                       D

       (3) The fund constituted under sub-section (2) shall be
       applied and utilised for the purpose of providing an efficient
       legal service for the people of the State and to provide social
       security measures for the legal profession.
                                                                                 E
       (4) The mode and manner in which legal service to the people
       may be made more efficient and social security measures for
       legal profession may be provided, shall be as prescribed by rules
       made by Government."
        5. As is clear from the plain language of the aforesaid Section,
this provision empowers the State Government to levy an additional comt
                                                                                 F
fee in respect of appeals or revisions to tribunals or appellate authorities,
other than civi I and criminal courts. This can be done by notification in
the Gazette. The upper limit of such an additional cou1t fee is one per
cent of the amount involved in the dispute in cases where it is capable of
valuation, and in other cases the additional court fee which can be levied      G
is not to exceed rupees hundred for each appeal or revision. This levy of
additional cou1t fee is meant for Legal Benefit Fund. This Fund is to be
applied and utilised for the purpose of providing an efficient legal service
for the people of the State and to provide social security measures for
the legal profession. The mode and manner in which legal services are
                                                                                H
922            SUPREME COURT REPORTS                         [2016) 7 S.C.R.


A     to be made more efficient and social security measures for legal
      profession need to be provided can be prescribed by rules made by the
      Government. For this purpose, the State Government has framed the
      Kerala Legal Benefit Fund Rules, 1991, These Rules prescribed the
      manner in which the Fund is to be operated. Rule 3 thereof enumerates
      the sources of monies to the said Fund and reads as under:
B
            "3. Dc1>ositing of certain monies to the Fund. -
            (I) The amount to be credited to the Legal Bene lit Fund shall be
            drawn from the head of account 2014-800-06 Legal Benefit Fund
            - Contributions by the Secretary, Board of Revenue (L/R) and
c           may be made available to the Secretary to Government, Law
            Depaitment for depositing it in the Fund. Government may make
            available in the first instance for deposit in the Fund such amount
            as it may deem necessary for the initial working of the Fund.
            This amount shall be adjusted against the actual amount payable
            to the Fund on consolidation of Statements regarding court fees
D           actually levied from the year from which this (sic - these) rules
            sh al I be brought into force.
                                                                       •
            (2) The amount ofadditional court fees levied and collected under
            sub-section ( 1) of S. 76 of the Act shal I be added to the Fund as
            and when such additional court fees are levied and collections are
 E          made. This amount will also be made available to the Law
            Secretary during the beginning of every financ.ial year based on
            consolidated accounts of collection made in the previous year.
            (3) The fund shall be deposited in the Public Deposit account as
            'Fund' in the DistrictTrcasmy, Thiruvananthapuram in the name
            of the Legal Benefit Fund Trustee Committee constituted under
            rule 4."
            Under Rule 4, a Fund Trustee Committee is constituted and detailed
      provisions are made thereof for operating the Fund by the said Trustee
      Committee as well as the functions which the said Trustee Committee is
G     supposed to discharge.
            6. We may point out at this stage that the Legislature of the
      Kerala State has also enacted a law known as the Kcrala Advocates'
      Welfare Fund Act, 1980. Rules are also framed under the said Act
      which arc called as the Kerala Advocates' Welfare Fund Rules, 1981.
H     The Welfare Fund Act is aimed at providing of a Welfare Fund for the
  CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR. v.                                   923
       STATE OF KERALA & ORS. [A. K. SIKRI, J.]

payment of retirement benefits to advocates in the State of Kera la. and       A
for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Section 3
thereof deals with constitution of the Advocates' Welfare Fund and reads
as under:
      "3. Advocates' Welfare Fund. - (.I) The Government shall
      constitute a fund called the Advocates' Welfare Fund.                     B
      (2) There shall be credited to the Fund -
         (a) all amounts paid by the Bar Council under section 12;
          (b) any other contribution made by the Bar Council;
          (c) any voluntary donation or contribution made to the Fund           C
          by the Bar Council of India, any Bar Association, any other
          association or institution, any advocate or any other person;
          (d) any grant made by the State Government to the Fund;
          (e) the amount set apart from the Legal Benefit Fund
                                                                                D
          constituted under sub-section (2) of Section 76 of the
          Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959 (10 of
          1960), for providing social security measures for the legal
          profession;
          (t) any sum borrowed under section IO:
                                                                                E
          (g) all sums received from the Life Insurance Corporation of
          India on the death of an advocate under the Group Insurance
          Policy;
          (h) any profit or dividend received from the Life Insurance
          Corporation oflndia in respect of policies of Group Insurance         F
          of the members of the Fund;
          (i) any interest or dividend or other return on any investment
          made of any part of the Fund;
          U) all sums collected by way of sale of stamps under section
          ~;                                                                    G
          (k) all sums collected under section I 5 by way of application
          fees and annual subscriptions and interest thereon.
       (3) .The sums specified in sub section (2) shall be paid or collected
       by suchagendes at such intervals and in such manner, and the
                                                                                H
924             SUPREME COURT REPORTS                           [2016] 7 S.C.R.



A            accounts of the Fund shall be maintained in such manner as may
             be prescribed."
             7. It becomes clear from clause (e) of sub-section (2) of Section
      3 that the amount set apart from the Legal Benefit Fund constituted
      under Section 76 of the CF Act is to be credited to the Advocates'
B     Welfare Fund, for providing efficient legal services for the people of the
      State and social security measures for the legal profession.
               In nutshell, the additional court fee at the rate of 0.5% of the
      amount involved or~ 50 in each case by the tribunals and appellate
      authorities constituted by or under any special or local laws, other than
c     civil and criminal courts, is meant for the aforesaid Welfare Fund which
      is to be utilised in accordance with the provisions of the Welfare Fund
      Act.
             8. From the reading of the aforesaid provisions it becomes clear
      that Section 76 authorises the State Government to issue such a
D     notification and notification has been issued in exercise of powers
      contained therein. This power extends to levy additional court fee by
      tribunals and other appellate authorities constituted by or under any special
      law. The impugned notification, therefore, is intra vires the provision of
      Section 76 of the CF Act. Even the rate which is prescribed in the
      notification is within the outer limit prescribed under Section 76(2) of the
E     Act. To this extent, therefore, there cannot be any quarrel.
             9. However, the main argument of the appellants is that the
      additional court fee which is to be paid on the appeals etc. which are to
      be filed either under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act or the Kerala
      Value Added Tax Act by virtue of the aforesaid notification, have no
F     nexus with the object and, therefore, it does not have any character of
      'fee' as no services are provided to the litigants in return. To put it
      otherwise, it is submitted that since such additional cou1t fee collected
      from the assessees like the appellants is used for the benefit of the
      advocates and no benefit thereof accrues to the litigants, charging of
G     such additional court fee is clearly impermissible as it amounts to
      compulsory exaction of the money from the appellants in the name of
      court fee, without giving any corresponding benefit to the appellants. It
      is more so when such an additional fee has to be paid at each and every
      subsequent level of statutory appeal and revision as well.
             I 0. The aforesaid arguments of the appellants is devoid of any
H
  CARDAMOM MARKETING CORPORATION AND ANR. v.                                      925
       STATE OF KERALA & ORS. (A. K. SIKRI, J.]

merit. Insofar as the argument predicated on fee vis-a-vis tax is                 A
concerned, i.e. the submission that the imposition in question is in the
nature of tax inasmuch as this imposition has no nexus to any object
sought to be achieved in relation to the service available to the appellants
and there is no quid pro quo, the same is dealt with by the High Court
elaborately. The High Court has referred to Entry 3 in List II (State
                                                                                   B
List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution as it stood in the year
1960 when the CF Act was enacted on receiving the assent of the
President oflndia. This Entry reads as under:
      "3. Administration ofjustice, constitution and organization of all
      courts except the Supreme Cou11 and the High Court; officers
      and servants of the High Court; procedure in Rent and Revenue
                                                                                   c
      Courts; fees taken in all courts except to the Supreme Com1."
       By the Forty-Second Amendment to the Constitution in the year
1976, administration ofjustice became a Concurrent Subject, having been
included as Entry l JA in List lII which resulted in requisite modification
to Entry 3 in List II as well. At the same time, by the very same                  D
amendment, Article 39-A was also inserted in Part IV of the Constitution
which relates to the Directive Principles of State Policy. This Article
exhorts the State to provide equal justice and free legal aid and reads as
under:
       "39A. Equal justice and free legal aid. The State shall secure              E
       that the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis
       of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid,
       by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure
       that opportunities for securingjustice are not denied to any citizen
       by reason of economic or other disabilities."                               F
       As per the High Court, the administration ofjustice, thus, becomes
adistincttopic and Article 39Acalls upon the State to ensure establishment
of such legal system which promotes justice and provides free legal aid.
        11. We agree with the aforesaid approach of the High Court.
First of all, the argument of the appellants ignores that as per Section           G
76(3) of the CF Act, one of the purposes for which the Fund is to be
utilised is for providing efficient legal services for the people of the State.
It clearly amounts to quid pro quo. Other purpose is also for the benefit
of the public at large. When we talk of sound and stable system of
administration of justice, all the stakeholders in the said legal system
                                                                                   H
926             SUPREME COURT REPORTS                             (2016] 7 S.C.R.


A     need to be taken care of. Legal community and advocates are
      inseparable and important part of robust legal system and they not only
      aid in seeking access to justice but also promote jus.tice. Judges cannot
      perfonn their task of dispensingjustice effectively without the able suppo1t
      of advocates. In that sense, advocates play an important role in the
      administration ofjustice. It is wisely said that for any society governed
B
      by Rule of Law, effective judicial system is a necessary concomitant.
      The Rule of Law reflects man's sense of order and justice. There can
      be no Government without order; there can be no order without law;
      and there can be no administration of law without lawyers. It is no small
      service to be called upon to prosecute and enforce the rights of a litigant
c     through the court of law and in that sense the legal profession is treated
      as service to the justice seekers. It is, therefore, by contributing an
      essential aid to the process of the administration ofjustice that the advocate
      discharges a public duty of the highest utility.
             12. When the subject matter of the instant cases is examined in
D     the aforesaid hue, it becomes apparent that providing social security to
      the legal profession becomes an essential part of any legal system which
      has to be effective, efficient and robust to enable it to provide necessary
      service to the consumers of justice. Section 76 of the CF Act and the
      impugned notification vide which additional court fee is imposed have a
      direct nexus to the objective sought to be achieved in relation to the
E     service available to the appellants or others who approached the courts/
      tribunals for redressal of their grievances.
             13. We, thus, do not find any merit in the appeal and the writ
      petitions, which are accordingly dismissed.
F     Divya Pandey                                Appeal and writ petitions dismissed.