New Delhi, Nov 27, : .A petitioner approached the Delhi High Court to seek directions from its Registrar General as well as the Delhi government to rationally distribute and increase pecuniary jurisdiction for Civil Judges in District courts in the capital. Advocate Amit Sahni filed a plea stating that the pecuniary authority of District Courts at Civil Judges level needs to be increased or amended so that District Judges are not subject to stagnation and that cases can be transferred to Additional District Judges.
In the matter, in addition to the Registrar General and city government, the Bar Council of Delhi as well as different Bar associations of district court courts are also respondents.
The matter will be heard by the High Court on December 1, 2021.
The plea stated that the pecuniary authority of Civil Judges in District Courts of Delhi amounts to Rs 3 lakhs and has not changed since 2003.
However, the pecuniary authority of ADJ, District judges has increased from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 crore by 2003 to 2015, it stated.It also said that the pecuniary power of the Delhi High Court, and other District Courts, was altered or increased to meet the current legal environment.
“The pecuniary authority of the Delhi High Court has increased from above Rs 25,000, to above Rs 2,00,00,000.000 in the year 1969 to 2015.The pecuniary power of District Judge level was increased by up to Rs 20 lakhs, to up to Rs 2 Crore within the year 2003 to 2018, through the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division, and Commercial Appellate Division (Ordinance), 2018.According to the plea, the pecuniary jurisdiction at Civil Judge level has not changed and is still upto Rs 3 lakhs.
The District Courts in Delhi–Gurgaon and Noida are granted unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction.The plea stated that District Courts in Delhi should be equated to District courts in adjourning Delhi areas in terms of pecuniary jurisdiction.
Although the distribution of pecuniary authority of Civil Judges was proportionately done at the time of amendments, there has been no increase in the pecuniary power of Civil Judges posted at Delhi District Courts since 2003.
It was stated that the pecuniary value entrusted by Civil Judges to Delhi District Courts is extremely low and that no property in Delhi is worth Rs 3 lakh only.
This has led to stern stagnation, as Civil Judges to Delhi District Courts are adjudicating only Injunction Suits or petty suits for recovery totaling up to 3 Lakhs.
jw/shb/ #Delhi #pecuniary #Civil #Judges
.
