New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) The pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts here has already been increased from Rs three lakh to 20 lakh and a resolution has been passed in this regard, the Delhi High Court Friday noted.
The court was hearing a plea seeking rationale distribution and enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of the civil judges, posted at various district courts here.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Neena Bansal Krishna was informed by the counsel representing the high court’s administrative side that the full court on February 9, 2022, has already decided to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts.
The bench was informed that communication in this regard had been made to the ministry concerned by the high court on March 7.
The bench noted that this decision was taken because of an earlier petition which was filed by advocate Amit Sahni, who has also filed the present petition, and as he was not aware of the full court resolution so he filed the instant plea.
The high court disposed of the present petition in which he submitted that the pecuniary jurisdiction of civil judges posted here has changed from time to time from Rs 25,000 to Rs one lakh to Rs three lakh in 2003 but not after that.
“The pecuniary value of Rs three Lakh entrusted to civil judges of Delhi district courts is on the extremely lower side and no property in Delhi is worth ‘three Lakh’ and the same has led to stern stagnation as civil judges of Delhi district courts are adjudicating Injunction Suits and petty suit for recovery amounting up to three lakh only,” the plea said.
The petitioner submitted that the pecuniary limit of Rs three lakh is very meagre for civil courts, which consequently results in a large number of cases being filed before district courts that have a “much wider jurisdiction of Rs three lakh to finally up to Rs two Crores”.
The petitioner has emphasised that the pecuniary jurisdiction of the high court was increased from Rs 25,000 in 1970 to above Rs two crore in 2015 and the pecuniary jurisdiction of the district court was increased from up to Rs 20 lakh in 2003 to up to Rs two crore in 2018 yet the civil courts have remained stagnant.
The plea said that the pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts needs to be increased so that the stagnation faced by the civil judges and burden of cases upon District Judges or Additional District Judges can be resolved. PTI SKV RKS RKS
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