Diyarbakır Bar Association brings CMK fees to State Council

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The low level of fees determined for the lawyers appointed in the scope of the Criminal Procedures Law (CMK) was brought to the State Council of Türkiye.

Applying to the State Council today (December 30), Diyarbakır Bar Association requested that the fee tariff determined for 2023 should be canceled and a new tariff should be determined equal or near to the minimum lawyer fees determined by the Union of Bar Associations.

Reference to Union of Bar Associations

In its application, the bar recalled that the related legislation states that the opinion of the Union of Bar Associations of Türkiye (TBB) should be taken when the tariff is being determined.

However, the Diyarbakır bar stated, the opinion of the union that the tariff should be made equal to the minimum fees declared by them was not taken into account.

"Extremely low"

The bar said in the application "The expression in the law that the tariff 'should be determined together taking the opinion' (of TBB) does not mean to take the opinion only formally" but that the opinion should be "taken into account."

The bar added, "It can be seen that with the 2023 CMK Fee Tariff an increase has been made overlooking the inflation rates and that the current fees are extremely low."  

The bar argued that as long as the current CMK fees tariff is implemented, the lawyers will not be able to deliver good legal services which will cause many problems in the judicial system and result in a violation of the principle of equality in the Constitution for those who cannot receive a good enough legal service. (EMK/PE)