Mulla The Key To Indian Practice

Mulla The Key to Indian Practice contains a lucid summary of the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure and provides an overview of the conduct of civil suits in Indian courts. The book educates the student of law on the practice and procedure in the conduct of suits in and out of court. In these chapters, the course of an ordinary suit is followed from the moment the plaintiff determines to sue till the time he obtains a decree and, thereafter, follows appeal by the defendant and further appeals. This explanatory method of treatment enables the student not only to understand the provisions of the Code, but also to see how these provisions are applied in practice. Every important section of the Code has been noted in its appropriate place, thus making the work useful not only as a guide to Indian practice, but also as a readable summary of the Code best suited to the requirements of beginners in the study of law as well as new entrants in the field of law. This current edition has been revised thoroughly and the case law has been updated extensively.

Preface ....................................................................................................... v
Preface to the Eighth Edition ..................................................................... vii
Preface to the Seventh Edition .................................................................... ix
Contents .................................................................................................... xi
Table of Cases ........................................................................................... xix
CHAPTER 1
Introductory .................................................................................. 1
CHAPTER 2
The Courts and Their Jurisdiction ................................................ 7
2.1 CONSTITUTION OF COURTS ............................................... 7
2.2 JURISDICTION .................................................................... 8
2.2.1 Original and Appellate Jurisdiction ............................. 9
2.2.2 Jurisdiction as Regards Local Limits, Pecuniary
Limits, and Subject-matter ...................................... 9
2.2.3 Ordinary Original and Extraordinary Original
Civil Jurisdiction ....................................................11
2.3 COURTS ........................................................................... 12
2.3.1 Courts in Presidency Towns .......................................12
2.3.2 Courts in Other Parts of India ...................................12
2.4 THE THREE RULES ........................................................... 14
2.4.1 Express Bar .................................................................18
2.4.2 Implied Bar ................................................................18
CHAPTER 3
The Four Essentials of a Suit ....................................................... 21
3.1 PARTIES ........................................................................... 21
3.2 CAUSE OF ACTION ........................................................... 23
3.3 SUBJECT MATTER ............................................................. 25
3.4 RELIEFS CLAIMED.............................................................. 25
3.4.1 Reliefs in Suits on Contracts ......................................26
3.4.2 Reliefs in Suits for Torts .............................................27
3.4.3 Reliefs in Suits on Mortgage ......................................27
3.5 PLAINT IN SUIT FOR SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE ..................... 28
3.5.1 Summary ....................................................................29
3.5.2 Comment ...................................................................30
CHAPTER 4
Place of Suing .............................................................................. 31
4.1 PLACE OF SUING .............................................................. 31
4.2 SECTIONS 16, 17, 19 AND 20 OF THE CODE .................... 32
4.2.1 Suits for Immovable Property ....................................33
4.2.2 Suits for Compensation for Wrong Done to the
Person or to Movable Property ...............................34
4.3 PLACE WHERE WRONG IS COMMITTED .............................. 35
4.4 RESIDENCE ....................................................................... 40
4.5 CARRIES ON BUSINESS ...................................................... 41
4.6 PERSONALLY WORKS FOR GAIN ......................................... 43
4.7 CLAUSE 12 OF THE CHARTER ........................................... 44
4.7.1 Suits for Land .............................................................44
4.7.2 Suits Other Than Those for Land ..............................45
4.8 POINTS OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN SECTIONS 16, 17
AND 20 OF THE CODE AND CLAUSE 12 OF THE
LETTERS PATENT .......................................................... 46
4.9 ASCERTAINING THE PARTICULAR COURT............................. 47
4.10 OBJECTION AS TO PLACE OF SUING ................................. 47
4.10.1 Factors Constituting a Failure of Justice ....................49
4.10.2 Waiver of Objection to Territorial or Pecuniary
Jurisdiction .............................................................49
4.11 OBJECTIONS AS TO OVER-VALUATION AND
UNDER VALUATION ....................................................... 50
CHAPTER 5
Parties and Cause of Action ......................................................... 53
5.1 PRELIMINARY .................................................................... 53
5.2 TRANSACTIONS AS DISTINGUISHED FROM CAUSE
OF ACTION ................................................................. 53
5.3 JOINDER OF PARTIES ........................................................ 57
5.3.1 Joinder and Plaintiffs ..................................................57
5.3.2 Joinder of Defendants ................................................58
5.4 PROCEDURE IN CASE OF MISJOINDER OF PARTIES .............. 60
5.5 JOINDER OF CAUSES OF ACTION ...................................... 61
5.5.1 One Plaintiff, one Defendant, and Several
Causes of Action .....................................................62
5.5.2 Joinder of Plaintiffs and Causes of Action ..................62
5.5.3 Joinder of Defendants and Causes of Action .............63
5.5.4 Joinder of Plaintiffs, Defendants and the
Causes of Action .....................................................65
5.6 PROCEDURE IN CASE OF MISJOINDER OF PARTIES
AND CAUSE OF ACTION ............................................... 65
5.7 NON-JOINDER OF PARTIES ................................................ 66
5.7.1 Effect of Non-joinder of a Necessary Party ................67
5.7.2 Effect of Non-joinder of a Proper Party .....................68
CHAPTER 6
Steps in a Suit .............................................................................. 71
6.1 INSTITUTION OF SUIT [ORDER IV, RULE 2] ....................... 71
6.2 SUMMONS TO DEFENDANT [ORDER V] ............................. 76
6.2.1 What Constitutes a Summons? ..................................77
6.2.2 Service of Summons ....................................................79
6.2.3 Personal or Direct Service ...........................................79
6.2.4 Mode of Personal Service ............................................81
6.2.5 Substituting Service ....................................................81
6.3 INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN
THE PLAINT [ORDER XI, RULE 15] ................................ 84
6.4 WRITTEN STATEMENT [ORDER VIII] ................................. 84
6.4.1 Set-off and Counter Claim .........................................87
6.4.2 Written Statement in Suit for Specific
Performance ............................................................91
6.4.3 Non-Compliance with Order for
Written Statement ..................................................92
6.5 AMENDMENT OF PLEADING AND PARTICULARS ................... 92
6.5.1 Scandalous Allegations in Pleadings ..........................94
6.5.2 Particulars ...................................................................94
CHAPTER 7
Documents and Witnesses .......................................................... 97
7.1 DISCOVERY AND INSPECTION [ORDER XI] ......................... 97
7.1.1 Interrogatories ............................................................98
7.1.2 Affidavit of Documents ........................................... 101
7.1.3 Premature Discovery ............................................... 103
7.1.4 Inspection ................................................................ 103
7.1.5 Non-compliance with Order for Discovery or
Inspection ................................................................ 105
7.2 NOTICE TO ADMIT FACTS OR DOCUMENTS
[ORDER XII] ..............................................................106
7.3 SUMMONING OF WITNESSES [ORDER XVI] .......................107
7.4 PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS [ORDER XIII]...................110
CHAPTER 8
Hearing and Disposal ................................................................111
8.1 FIRST HEARING AND SETTLEMENT OF ISSUES [ORDER X;
ORDER XIII, RULES 1-2; ORDERS XI-XV] ....................111
8.1.1 Whether the Suit can be Decided on a Single
Issue Leaving Other Issues Undecided................ 114
8.2 HEARING OF THE SUIT AND EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES
[ORDER XVIII] ..........................................................117
8.3 JUDGMENT [ORDER XX] ..................................................121
8.4 DECREE [ORDER XX] ......................................................122
8.4.1 Kinds of Decree ....................................................... 124
8.5 WHERE PARTIES DO NOT APPEAR [ORDER IX] ..................124
CHAPTER 9
Execution of Decrees ..................................................................129
9.1 MEANING OF EXECUTION ................................................129
9.1.1 Application for Execution ....................................... 130
9.1.2 Who May Apply for Execution ............................... 130
9.1.3 Against Whom Execution May be Applied For ...... 130
9.1.4 Notice Before Issuing Process .................................. 131
9.1.5 Mode of Execution .................................................. 131
9.1.6 Execution Against Person of Judgment-Debtor ...... 132
9.2 PAYMENT OUT OF COURT ...............................................134
9.3 GARNISHEE .....................................................................135
9.4 STAY OF EXECUTION .......................................................135
9.5 EXECUTION AGAINST PROPERTY OF JUDGMENT-DEBTOR .....135
9.5.1 Irregularity in the Conduct of Sale of
Attached Property ............................................... 137
9.6 DISPOSAL OF SALE-PROCEEDS ...........................................138
9.7 RESISTANCE TO DELIVERY OF POSSESSION
TO PURCHASER ...........................................................138
9.8 COURTS BY WHICH DECREES MAY BE EXECUTED...............138
9.9 PERCEPTS ........................................................................139
9.10 QUESTIONS TO BE DETERMINED BY COURT
EXECUTING DECREE .....................................................139
9.11 PROCEDURE ......................................................................140
CHAPTER 10
Appeals From Original Decrees .................................................141
10.1 APPEALS FROM ORIGINAL DECREES ...................................141
10.2 COURT OF APPEAL ..........................................................144
10.3 MEMORANDUM OF APPEAL...............................................144
10.4 STAY OF EXECUTION .......................................................146
10.5 SECURITY FOR COSTS ......................................................147
10.6 NOTICE OF DAY FOR HEARING APPEAL .............................147
10.7 CROSS-APPEAL AND CROSS-OBJECTIONS ............................148
10.8 HEARING OF THE APPEAL ................................................149
10.9 JUDGMENT AND DECREE .................................................152
10.10 CONSEQUENCE OF NON-APPEARANCE OF PARTIES ..............153
CHAPTER 11
Appeals from Appellate Decrees or Second Appeals...................155
11.1 SECOND OR SPECIAL APPEALS ...........................................155
11.1.1 What is Substantial Question of Law? .................... 157
11.1.1 In What Cases is a Second Appeal Possible? ........... 158
11.2 APPEALS TO THE SUPREME COURT ...................................159
11.2.1 Procedure in Appeals to the Supreme Court .......... 160
11.3 APPEALS FROM ORDERS ...................................................160
11.4 THE NEXT CHAPTER ........................................................163
CHAPTER 12
References, Revision and Review ...............................................165
12.1 REFERENCE ......................................................................165
12.2 REVISION ........................................................................167
12.3 REVIEW OF JUDGMENT [ORDER XLVII] ............................169
12.4 THE NEXT CHAPTER ........................................................172
CHAPTER 13
Supplemental and Special Proceedings .......................................173
(A) SUPPLEMENTAL PROCEEDINGS
13.1 ARREST AND ATTACHMENT BEFORE JUDGMENT .................173
13.1.1 Arrest Before Judgment [Order XXXVIII,
Rules 1-4] ........................................................... 174
13.1.2 Attachment Before Judgment [Order XXXVIII,
Rules 5-12] ......................................................... 175
13.2 TEMPORARY INJUCTION [ORDER XXXIX] .........................176
13.3 RECEIVER [ORDER XLI] ...................................................179
13.4 SECURITY FOR COSTS [ORDER XXV]................................181
13.4.1 Discretion of the Court ........................................... 181
13.5 WITHDRAWAL OF SUITS [ORDER XXIII, RULES 1-2] .........182
13.6 PAYMENT INTO COURT [ORDER XXIV] ............................184
13.7 COMPROMISE OF SUITS (ORDER XXIII, RULE 3
AND RULE 313) ..........................................................184
(B) SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS
13.8 SPECIAL CASE [SECTION 90; ORDER XXXVI] ....................186
13.9 DEATH, MARRIAGE AND INSOLVENCY OF PARTIES
[ORDER XXII] ............................................................186
CHAPTER 14
Suits in Particular Cases .............................................................191
14.1 SCOPE ............................................................................191
14.2 NOTICE BEFORE SUIT ......................................................191
14.3 CONSENT BEFORE SUIT ...................................................193
14.4 TITLE OF THE SUIT ........................................................193
14.5 PARTIES ..........................................................................194
14.6 CONTENTS OF PLAINT ....................................................194
14.7 SIGNING AND VERIFICATION OF PLEADING ........................194
14.8 SERVICE OF SUMMONS, APPEARANCE, ETC .........................195
14.9 PROCEDURE ....................................................................195
14.10 DECREES .........................................................................195
14.11 EXECUTION OF DECREES .................................................196
14.12 OTHER SPECIAL PROVISIONS.............................................196
14.13 INTERPLEADER SUITS [SECTION 88, ORDER XXXV] ...........196
14.14 SUITS BY OR AGAINST MINOR AND LUNATICS
[ORDER XXXII] .........................................................197
14.15 SUITS BY INDIGENT PERSONS [ORDER XXXIII] ................198
14.15.1 Appeal as Indigent Person ...................................... 201
14.16 SUITS BY OR AGAINST FIRMS [ORDER 30] ........................201
14.16.1 When Partners May Sue or be Sued in
Firm Name .......................................................... 201
14.16.2 Suit by a Firm ........................................................ 201
14.16.3 Suit Against a Firm ................................................. 202
14.17 SUIT INVOLVING QUESTION OF INTERPRETATION
OF CONSTITUTION OR VALIDITY OF STATUTORY
INSTRUMENT...............................................................203
14.18 SUMMARY SUITS ..............................................................203
14.19 BAR OF CERTAIN SUITS ...................................................205
14.19.1 A Suit May be Barred as Res Judicata
[Section 11] ......................................................... 205
14.19.2 Stay of Suit ............................................................. 210
14.16.3 Restitution ............................................................. 212
14.20 MISCELLANEOUS ..............................................................214
14.20.1 Foreign Judgments ................................................. 214
14.20.2 Caveat ..................................................................... 215
14.20.3 Powers of Court ...................................................... 216
CHAPTER 15
Special Proceedings ....................................................................221
15.1 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTES REDRESSAL MECHANISMS (ADR) .....221

APPENDIX
City Civil Courts and Their Jurisdiction ....................................225
Index ................................................................................................ 229