Amendment of judgments, decrees or orders
Full Text
Clerical or arithmetical mistakes in judgments, decrees or orders or errors arising therein from any accidental slip or omission may at any time be corrected by the Court either of its own motion or on the application of any of the parties.
Plain English Summary
Section 152 enables courts at any time—either suo motu or on application—to rectify clerical or arithmetical mistakes, accidental slips, or omissions in judgments, decrees, and orders to ensure the judicial record accurately reflects the true intention of the court.
Key Legal Elements
- Types of Errors Correctable: Clerical (typographical, name/survey number typing errors) and arithmetical (calculation, interest totals) mistakes.
- Accidental Slips or Omissions: Rectification of unintended judicial slips or omissions in the decree or judgment.
- No Limitation Barrier ('At Any Time'): Exercisable at any time without any limitation deadline, even years after decree passage.
- Suo Motu or on Application: Court may act on its own motion or upon application by any party.
- Strict Judicial Constraint: Cannot be used to alter, review, or reconsider the substantive merits of a judgment or decree.
Practical Note
Correcting Clerical Slip vs Review of Merits (Section 114 / Order XLVII vs Section 152): 1. No Limitation Bar ('At Any Time'): Unlike review petitions under Order XLVII (which must be filed within 30 days under Article 124 of the Limitation Act), a Section 152 application can be entertained at any time, even during final decree execution proceedings decades later! 2. Scope of Clerical / Arithmetical Errors: Section 152 is intended to eliminate ministerial slips—e.g. typing error in party names, wrong survey/khasra number copied from the plaint into the decree, wrong interest calculation, or omitting costs formally awarded in the judgment from the drawn-up decree. 3. Substantive Changes Barred: As reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in Jayalakshmi Coelho v. Oswald Joseph Coelho (2001) 4 SCC 181 and State of Punjab v. Darshan Singh (2004) 1 SCC 328, Section 152 cannot be used to modify the substantive reasoning, decide unadjudicated claims, or grant relief that was never considered by the judge. Such substantive changes require an appeal or review, not Section 152.
हिंदी पाठ
निर्णयों, डिक्रियों या आदेशों में की लिपिकीय या गणितीय भूलें (Clerical or arithmetical mistakes) अथवा किसी आकस्मिक भूल या लोप (Accidental slip or omission) से उनमें हुई गलतियां, न्यायालय द्वारा स्वप्रेरणा से (Suo motu) या पक्षकारों में से किसी के आवेदन पर किसी भी समय (At any time) ठीक की जा सकेंगी।