New Delhi, Nov 27 A petitioner has approached the Delhi High Court seeking appropriate directions from its Registrar General and Delhi government to rationally distribute and enhance pecuniary jurisdiction of Civil Judges posted at District courts in the national capital.
According to the plea filed by petitioner Advocate Amit Sahni, it was stated that the pecuniary jurisdiction of District Courts at the level of Civil Judges needs to be amended or increased so that the stagnation faced by the Civil Judges and burden of cases upon District Judges, Additional District Judges can be reduced simultaneously.
Apart from Registrar General and the city government, the Bar Council of Delhi and different Bar associations of district courts are also respondents in the matter.
The High court will hear the matter on December 1, 2021.
The plea said that the pecuniary jurisdiction of Civil Judges in District Courts of Delhi is up to Rs 3 lakhs only and there has been no change in it from 2003.
However, the pecuniary jurisdiction of ADJ, District Judges have increased from Rs 20 lakh in 2003 to Rs 2 crore in 2015, it said, adding that the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court and other District Courts were altered or increased from time to time to suit the dynamics of the contemporary legal scenario.
"The pecuniary jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court has risen from above Rs 25,000 to above Rs 2,00,00,000 within the year of 1969 to 2015 and pecuniary jurisdiction of District Judge level was increased from up to Rs 20 lakhs to up to Rs 2 crore within the year of 2003 to 2018 through Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Ordinance), 2018. The pecuniary jurisdiction of Civil Judge level has not been amended and it is still up to Rs 3 lakhs," the plea said.
The District Courts in the neighborhood of DelhiGurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad enjoy unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction. District Courts in Delhi need to be equated with District courts in adjourning areas of Delhi so far as pecuniary jurisdiction is concerned, the plea stated.
The distribution of pecuniary jurisdiction of Civil Judges was proportionately done on earlier occasions at the time of amendments but from 2003 onwards there is no increase in pecuniary jurisdiction of Civil Judges posted at Delhi District Courts, the plea added.
The pecuniary value of Rs 3 lakh entrusted to Civil Judges of Delhi District Courts is on the extremely lower side and no property in Delhi is worth "Rs 3 lakh" only 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 3 lakhs only, it said.
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