Presumption as to foreign judgments
Full Text
The Court shall presume upon the production of any document purporting to be a certified copy of a foreign judgment, that such judgment was pronounced by a Court of competent jurisdiction, unless the contrary appears on the record; but such presumption may be displaced by proving want of jurisdiction.
Plain English Summary
Section 14 creates a mandatory rebuttable presumption that a certified copy of a foreign judgment was pronounced by a court of competent jurisdiction. This presumption stands unless contradicted by the record itself or displaced by evidence proving lack of jurisdiction.
Key Legal Elements
- Mandatory Presumption: The court 'shall presume' jurisdiction upon production of a certified copy of a foreign judgment.
- Rebuttable in Nature: The presumption is not conclusive and can be displaced by demonstrating lack of jurisdiction.
- Modes of Rebuttal: Rebutted either on the face of the record itself or by adducing positive evidence establishing want of jurisdiction under Section 13(a).
- Evidentiary Burden Shift: Shifts the onus of disproving jurisdiction entirely onto the party contesting the foreign adjudication.
Practical Note
Evidentiary and procedural strategy: When relying on or seeking execution of a foreign judgment/decree under Section 44A, filing an apostilled or consular-authenticated certified copy immediately shifts the evidentiary burden under Section 14 to the judgment-debtor to prove want of jurisdiction. Conversely, counsel resisting such judgment must actively lead positive evidence showing absence of submission to foreign jurisdiction, lack of territorial nexus, or statutory bar under Section 13(a).
हिंदी पाठ
न्यायालय किसी ऐसी दस्तावेज के पेश किए जाने पर, जिसका किसी विदेशी निर्णय की प्रमाणित प्रति होना तात्पर्यित है, यह उपधारणा करेगा कि ऐसा निर्णय सक्षम अधिकारिता वाले न्यायालय द्वारा सुनाया गया था, जब तक कि अभिलेख से इसके प्रतिकूल प्रतीत न होता हो; किन्तु अधिकारिता का अभाव साबित करके ऐसी उपधारणा का खण्डन किया जा सकेगा।