Reference to High Court
Full Text
Subject to such conditions and limitations as may be prescribed, any Court may state a case and refer the same for the opinion of the High Court, and the High Court may make such order thereon as it thinks fit:
Provided that where the Court is satisfied that a case pending before it involves a question as to the validity of any Act, Ordinance or Regulation or of any provision contained in an Act, Ordinance or Regulation, the determination of which is necessary for the disposal of the case, and is of opinion that such Act, Ordinance, Regulation or provision is invalid or inoperative, but has not been so declared by the High Court to which that Court is subordinate or by the Supreme Court, the Court shall state a case setting out its opinion and the reasons therefor, and refer the same for the opinion of the High Court.
Explanation.—In this section, “Regulation” means any Regulation of the Bengal, Bombay or Madras Code or Regulation as defined in the General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897) or in the General Clauses Act of a State.
Plain English Summary
Section 113 empowers subordinate courts to refer questions of law to the High Court under Order XLVI, and makes it mandatory to refer cases involving the constitutional or statutory validity of any Act, Ordinance, or Regulation which the subordinate court considers invalid but which has not yet been declared invalid by the High Court or Supreme Court.
Key Legal Elements
- Subordinate Reference: Subordinate court states a case and submits it for the authoritative opinion of the High Court (Order XLVI).
- Mandatory Proviso (Challenge to Statute): Compulsory reference where the validity of an Act, Ordinance, or Regulation is challenged as invalid/inoperative.
- Prohibition on Lower Court Invalidation: Subordinate courts are statutorily prohibited from striking down any legislative enactment without High Court determination.
- Condition Precedent: The question of validity must be indispensable for the actual final disposal of the pending dispute.
Practical Note
Reference Procedure, Order XLVI & Mandatory Constitutional Proviso: (1) Discretionary vs Mandatory Reference: General reference on questions of law under Order XLVI Rule 1 is discretionary for the subordinate court (available only where no appeal lies from the impending decree). However, under the Proviso to Section 113 (added in 1951), reference is MANDATORY whenever the court doubts the constitutional/statutory validity of an Act or Ordinance that is necessary to decide the case. Subordinate civil judges have no power to declare a statute ultra vires or invalid; they MUST state a case and refer it to the High Court. (2) Subordinate Court Cannot Strike Down Legislation: Section 113 reserves the solemn power of judicial review of primary and delegated legislation exclusively to Constitutional Courts (High Courts and Supreme Court). (3) Stay of Suit: While reference is pending, under Order XLVI Rule 2, the court may either stay proceedings or pass a contingent decree subject to the High Court's ruling.
हिंदी पाठ
ऐसी शर्तों और सीमाओं के अधीन रहते हुए, जो विहित की जाएं, कोई भी न्यायालय किसी मामले का कथन कर सकेगा और उसे उच्च न्यायालय की राय के लिए निर्देशित (Refer) कर सकेगा, और उच्च न्यायालय उस पर ऐसा आदेश कर सकेगा जैसा वह ठीक समझे:
परन्तु जहाँ न्यायालय का यह समाधान हो जाता है कि उसके समक्ष लंबित किसी मामले में किसी अधिनियम, अध्यादेश या विनियम की अथवा किसी अधिनियम, अध्यादेश या विनियम में अंतर्विष्ट किसी उपबंध की विधिमान्यता (वैधता) के बारे में कोई ऐसा प्रश्न अंतर्वलित है जिसका अवधारण उस मामले के निस्तारण के लिए आवश्यक है, और न्यायालय की यह राय है कि ऐसा अधिनियम, अध्यादेश, विनियम या उपबंध अविधिमान्य (अवैध) या अप्रवर्तनीय है, किंतु उस उच्च न्यायालय द्वारा, जिसके वह न्यायालय अधीनस्थ है, अथवा उच्चतम न्यायालय द्वारा वैसा घोषित नहीं किया गया है, वहाँ वह न्यायालय अपनी राय और उसके कारणों को उपवर्णित करते हुए एक मामले का कथन तैयार करेगा और उसे उच्च न्यायालय की राय के लिए निर्देशित करेगा।
स्पष्टीकरण—इस धारा में, “विनियम” से बंगाल, मुंबई या मद्रास कोड का कोई विनियम अथवा साधारण खंड अधिनियम, 1897 (1897 का 10) में या किसी राज्य के साधारण खंड अधिनियम में परिभाषित विनियम अभिप्रेत है।