Plea filed before Delhi HC to increase pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts

A petition has been filed before Delhi High Court for increasing pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts in capital on ground that it would reduce burden of cases before district courts.

In his petition, lawyer Amit Sahni said present pecuniary limit of Rs 3 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 3 lakh to finally up to Rs 2 crore".

petitioner emphasised that pecuniary jurisdiction of high court increased from Rs 25,000 in 1970 to above Rs 2 crore in 2015 and that of district courts increased from up to Rs 20 lakh in 2003 to up to Rs 2 crore in 2018 yet civil courts have remained stagnant.

He pleaded that pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts needs to be increased so that stagnation faced by civil judges and burden of cases upon district judges or additional district judges can be resolved.

" pecuniary value of Rs 3 lakh entrusted to civil judges of Delhi district courts is on extremely lower side and property in Delhi is worth '3 lakh' and 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 3 lakh only," representation read.

" issue involved in petition is in larger public interest as it would t only reduce stress of district judges/additional district judges but same would also provide remedy of appeal (in enhanced jurisdictional bracket) to aggrieved party at district court level," petition said.