A Guide to the Supreme Court Middle Income Group (MIG) Legal Aid Scheme
PRAN LEGAL AWARENESS SERIES
A
Guide to the Supreme Court Middle Income Group (MIG) Legal Aid Scheme
Affordable
Access to the Supreme Court for Ordinary Citizens
By Advocate Amarjeet Singh , Public Right Action Network (PRAN) Dated 08 Nov. 2025
Introduction
Most citizens believe that approaching the
Supreme Court requires lakhs of rupees. As a practicing lawyer, I can confirm
that this fear stops many strong cases before they even begin. High Court
orders go unchallenged. Rights violations remain unaddressed. Justice becomes a
distant idea.
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However, the truth is this:
✅ The Supreme Court of India runs a
dedicated, affordable legal aid mechanism for middle-income citizens.
It is called the Middle Income Group
(MIG) Legal Aid Scheme.
If your income is up to ₹12
lakh per year, you can get professional legal assistance for
Supreme Court matters at transparent and reasonable fees.
This article explains the full scheme, all
official details, fee charts, contact information, and practical guidance —
directly adapted from the Supreme Court website.
1. What Is the MIG Legal Aid Scheme?
The Supreme Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid
Society (MIG Society) is a registered society (Reg. No. S-34951
of 1999) created to provide legal assistance to individuals whose gross
annual income does not exceed ₹12 lakh.
(Source:
sci.gov.in/legal-aid)
It covers matters intended to be
filed in the Supreme Court of India, including:
·
Special
Leave Petitions (SLPs)
·
Writ
Petitions
·
Civil
Appeals
·
Criminal
Appeals
·
Transfer
Petitions
·
Review
or Curative matters
·
Miscellaneous
applications connected to the above
It is a self-supporting,
professionally run system — not charity.
2. Who Is Eligible?
You can apply if:
✅
Your gross
annual income ≤ ₹12,00,000
✅ You are an
individual
applicant
✅ Your
matter is intended for the Supreme Court
✅ You cannot
afford private Advocate-on-Record (AOR) fees
Organisations,
firms, trusts or companies are not eligible.
3.
Governance Structure
According to the Supreme Court website, the
MIG Society is supervised by:
·
Patron-in-Chief: The Chief Justice of India
·
President: A sitting Judge of the Supreme Court
·
Vice-Presidents: Senior Advocates and AORs
·
Secretary: Executive head of the Society
·
Executive Committee: Selected panel of Advocates and AORs
This ensures credibility and
accountability.
4. Step-by-Step: How the Scheme Works
1. Submit
an application to the
Secretary in the prescribed form.
2. Attach
required documents
(High Court orders, lower court documents, translations if needed).
3. The Secretariat assigns a panel
Advocate-on-Record for preliminary evaluation.
4. Case
fitness check:
o If not a fit case, papers are
returned after deducting ₹750
service charge.
o If fit, the case proceeds.
5. Applicant pays fee + estimated
expenses.
6. AOR prepares:
o Drafting of petition
o List of dates
o Synopsis, annexures
o Miscellaneous applications (stay,
exemption, etc.)
7. Filing is done in the Supreme Court
registry.
8. The panel Advocate appears for hearings.
5. Detailed Fee Structure (As per Supreme Court
Website)
✅
A.
Service Charges
·
Application
fee: ₹500
·
Contingent
fund deposit (office expenses): ₹750
✅
B.
Honorarium – Petitioner Side
|
Work |
Amount |
|
Drafting & Filing SLP / WP / Appeal
(including dates, synopsis, conferences) |
₹10,000 |
|
Final Disposal Hearing |
₹3,000
per day (max ₹9,000) |
✅
C.
Honorarium – Respondent Side
|
Work |
Amount |
|
Drafting Counter Affidavit |
₹5,000 |
|
Final Disposal Hearing |
₹3,000
per day (max ₹9,000) |
✅
D.
Senior Advocate Fees
|
Service |
Amount |
|
Settlement of SLP/WP/Transfer Petition |
₹2,000 |
|
Admission Stage Appearance |
₹5,000
per day (max ₹10,000) |
|
Final Hearing Appearance |
₹7,000
per day (max ₹14,000) |
✅
E.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses (Official Rates)
|
Item |
Amount |
|
Photocopy |
₹1 per
page |
|
Stenographer (typing) |
₹8 per
page |
|
Paper-book binding |
₹15 per
book |
|
Computer typing (normal print) |
₹12 per
page (original); ₹5 per
additional page |
|
Computer typing (laser print) |
₹15 per
page (original); ₹5 per
additional page |
6.
Required Documents (Mandatory)
·
Filled
MIG application form
·
ID
Proof (Aadhaar/PAN)
·
Income
proof (ITR/Salary Slip/Certificate)
·
Certified
copy of High Court order
·
Copy
of petition filed in High Court
·
Lower
court judgments
·
All
annexures in correct order
·
English
translations (if required)
·
Vakalatnama
signed by applicant
Most rejections happen due to missing or
unclear documents — prepare carefully.
7. Choosing Your Lawyer
The MIG Society maintains a panel
of vetted lawyers and AORs.
You may:
✅ Indicate up to 3 preferred
Advocates from the panel
Final allotment is done by the Society.
8. Refunds
If your case is rejected at the “fitness”
stage:
·
Papers
returned
·
Refund
= Total deposit minus ₹750 service charge
This ensures fairness and transparency.
9. MIG Society Official Contact Details
(As per
the Supreme Court website)
✅
Address
Supreme Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid
Society
109, Lawyers’ Chambers,
R.K. Jain Block, Post Office Wing,
Supreme Court Compound,
New Delhi – 110001
(India)