STEPS TO FOLLOW:-
- Filing Of Suit/Plaint
- Vakalatnama
- Court Fees
- Proceedings
- Written Statement
- Replication By Plaintiff
- Filing Of Other Documents
- Framing Of Issues/List Of Witness
- Final Hearing
A Plaint contains:
- Name of the Court
- Name and Addresses of the parties between whom the dispute arose
- Subject (a brief statement telling about the sections and orders under which the jurisdiction of the court is evoked)
- Main Content or submissions made by plaintiff
- Verification from plaintiff stating that the contents of the plaint are true and correct.
Vakalatnama
Procedure For Filing A Suit/Case
Civil cases involve a conflict between people or institutions, generally over money. A civil suit begins when a legal person claims that he has been harmed by the actions of another person or business and asks the court for relief by filing a “complaint”. Most of the civil suits are guided by the well settled principles of the Code of Civil Procedure.
There is a detailed procedure laid down, for filing a civil case. If the procedure is not followed, then the registry has a right to dismiss the suit
The Procedure is as follows:
- Filing Of Suit/Plaint
- Vakalatnama
- Court Fees
- How Proceedings Are Conducted
- Written Statement
- Replication By Plaintiff
- Filing Of Other Documents
- Framing Of Issues/List Of Witness
- Final Hearing
The detailed process has been laid down in Code of Civil Procedure, for filing a civil case. However, if the process is not followed, then the “registry” has a right to dismiss the suit. “Registry here means an office which every court has which provides the information about any court matter and court forms”.
The procedure for filing a civil suit is as follows:
The first step to initiate a suit is to file a plaint. A plaint is a written complaint or allegation. The party who files it is known as “plaintiff” and the party against whom it is filed is known as “Defendant”.
A Plaint contains:
- Name of the Court
- Name and Addresses of the parties between whom the dispute arose
- Subject (a brief statement telling about the sections and orders under which the jurisdiction of the court is evoked)
- Main Content or submissions made by plaintiff
- Verification from plaintiff stating that the contents of the plaint are true and correct.
Vakalatnama
Vakalatnama is a written document, by which the parties to the suit authorises an Advocate to represent them before the Hon’ble Court. However, if the party is personally representing its own case, then they need not file a Vakalatnama.
Some of the General Terms and Conditions that a Vakalatnama may contain:
- That the client will not hold the Advocate responsible for any decision
- That the client has to bear all the cost and expenses incurred during the proceedings
- That the advocate will have a right to retain the documents, unless complete fees is paid
- That the client is free to disengage the Advocate already appointed, at any stage of the Proceeding
- That the advocate shall have all the rights, to take decisions on his own during the hearing in the court of Law, in the best interest of his client.
Court Fees
Court fees is a nominal percentage of the total value of the claim or the value of the suit. The requisite amount of Court fees and stamp duty is different for every suit, and the same is mentioned in the “Court Fees Stamp Act”.
Hearing
If on the first day of hearing, the court thinks that there is merit in the case, it will issue a notice to the opposite party, calling upon him to submit their arguments on a date fixed by the court.
Written Statement by Defendant
- Once the notice has been issued to the defendant, he is required to appear on the date mentioned in the notice. However, before appearing on the date, the defendant is required to file his “written statement” i.e., his defence against the allegation raised by the plaintiff.
- The written statement should be filed within 30 days from the date of service of notice, or within such time as given by the court.
- The maximum period that can be extended for filing of Written Statement is 90 days, after seeking permission of the court.
- The written statement should specifically deny the allegations, which according to defendant is wrong and false. Any allegation, not specifically denied, is deemed to be admitted.
- The written statement should also contain a verification from the Defendant, stating that, the content of the Written Statement are true and correct.
Replication by Plaintiff
The next step for plaintiff, once the Written Statement is filed by the Defendant, is to file a replication. Replication is a reply against the written statement, filed by the Plaintiff. The defences made by the Defendant in written statement is to be specifically denied by the Plaintiff in Replication. Anything which is not denied is deemed to be accepted.
Once the Replication is filed, the pleadings are stated to be complete.
Filing of Other Documents
After pleadings are completed and both the parties have filed their submissions, both the parties are given an opportunity to produce and file documents that are substantial to their claims.
Framing of Issues
- The next stage in a civil proceeding is Framing of Issues. Issues are framed by the court on the basis of which arguments and examination of witnesses takes place.
- Issues are framed, keeping in view the disputes in the suit, and the parties are not allowed to go outside the purview of ‘Issues”.
- Issues framed may be of Fact or of Law.
- At the time of passing final order, the court will deal with each issue separately, and will pass judgements on each issue.
List of Witness/Cross Examination
- All the witnesses that the parties wish to produce, and examined, have to be presented before the court within 15 days from the date on which issues are framed or within such other period as the court may fix.
- Both the parties to the suit have to file a list of witnesses.
- The parties may either call the witnesses by themselves, or the court can ask the same by sending summons to witnesses.
- In case summons are issued by the court, then the party who asked for such presence of a witness, has to deposit money with the court for their expenses. This money deposited is known as “Diet Money”.
- On the date of hearing, the witnesses produced before the court will be examined by both the parties and once the cross examination is over at this stage the court will fix a date for final hearing
Final Hearing
- On the day of final hearing, the arguments takes place which should be strictly confined to the issues framed.
- After hearing the final arguments of both the parties, the court shall pass a “final order”, either on the day of final hearing itself or on some other day fixed by the Court.
Prashant Tyagi (INTERN)
LEXIS & COMPANY
04/06/2021
