Power of Supreme Court to transfer suits, etc.
Full Text
(1) On the application of a party, and after notice to the parties, and after hearing such of them as desire to be heard, the Supreme Court may, at any stage, if satisfied that an order under this section is expedient for the ends of justice, direct that any suit, appeal or other proceeding be transferred from a High Court or other Civil Court in one State to a High Court or other Civil Court in any other State.
(2) Every application under this section shall be made by a motion which shall be supported by an affidavit.
(3) The Court to which such suit, appeal or other proceeding is transferred shall, subject to any special directions in the order of transfer, either retry it or proceed from the stage at which it was transferred to it.
(4) In dismissing any application under this section, the Supreme Court may, if it is of opinion that the application was frivolous or vexatious, order the applicant to pay by way of compensation to any person who has opposed the application such sum, not exceeding two thousand rupees, as it considers appropriate in the circumstances of the case.
(5) The law applicable to any suit, appeal or other proceeding transferred under this section shall be the law which the Court in which the suit, appeal or other proceeding was originally instituted ought to have applied to such suit, appeal or proceeding.
Plain English Summary
Section 25 empowers the Supreme Court of India, upon party application supported by an affidavit, to transfer any civil suit, appeal, or proceeding from a court in one State to a court in another State whenever expedient for the ends of justice. It safeguards against frivolous petitions with compensatory costs up to ₹2,000 and mandates that the substantive law of the original forum governs the transferred proceeding.
Key Legal Elements
- Inter-State Transfer: Supreme Court's exclusive jurisdiction to transfer suits, appeals, or civil proceedings from one State to another.
- Expediency for Ends of Justice: Primary statutory criterion requiring proof of bias, physical threat, or grave balance of convenience.
- Procedural Safeguards: Application must be made by motion supported by an affidavit; vexatious petitions face compensatory costs up to ₹2,000 (Sec 25(4)).
- Choice of Law Rule (Sec 25(5)): The transferee court must apply the substantive law that the originating court ought to have applied.
Punishment
Compensatory costs up to ₹2,000 for frivolous or vexatious transfer applications (Sec 25(4))
Practical Note
Core provision for Inter-State Transfer Petitions [Transfer Petition (Civil) / TP(C)] in the Supreme Court: (1) Matrimonial Practice: Dominates inter-state transfers in matrimonial litigation (divorce, restitution, custody); Supreme Court consistently accords primacy to the convenience, economic constraints, and safety of the wife. (2) 'Expedient for Ends of Justice': Mere personal inconvenience is insufficient in commercial matters; genuine apprehension of bias or severe prejudice must be demonstrated. (3) Applicable Substantive Law: Under sub-section (5), the transferee court must apply the law of the originating State. (4) Procedural Requirement: Applications must be filed through an Advocate-on-Record (AoR) supported by an affidavit as per Supreme Court Rules.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) किसी पक्षकार के आवेदन पर, और पक्षकारों को सूचना के पश्चात् तथा उनमें से जो सुने जाने की इच्छा रखते हैं उन्हें सुनने के पश्चात्, उच्चतम न्यायालय किसी भी प्रक्रम पर, यदि उसका यह समाधान हो जाता है कि इस धारा के अधीन आदेश न्याय के उद्देश्य की पूर्ति के लिए समीचीन है, तो यह निदेश दे सकेगा कि कोई वाद, अपील या अन्य कार्यवाही एक राज्य के उच्च न्यायालय या अन्य सिविल न्यायालय से किसी अन्य राज्य के उच्च न्यायालय या अन्य सिविल न्यायालय को अन्तरित कर दी जाए।
(2) इस धारा के अधीन प्रत्येक आवेदन एक प्रस्ताव (मोशन) द्वारा किया जाएगा जो शपथपत्र द्वारा समर्थित होगा।
(3) वह न्यायालय जिसे ऐसा वाद, अपील या अन्य कार्यवाही अन्तरित की जाती है, अन्तरण के आदेश में किन्हीं विशेष निदेशों के अध्यधीन रहते हुए, या तो उसका पुनः विचारण कर सकेगा या उस प्रक्रम से आगे कार्यवाही कर सकेगा जिस पर वह उसे अन्तरित की गई थी।
(4) इस धारा के अधीन किसी आवेदन को खारिज करते समय, यदि उच्चतम न्यायालय की यह राय है कि आवेदन तुच्छ या तंग करने वाला था, तो वह आवेदक को यह आदेश दे सकेगा कि वह आवेदन का विरोध करने वाले किसी व्यक्ति को प्रतिकर के रूप में उतनी राशि का संदाय करे, जो दो हजार रुपये से अधिक न हो, जितनी वह मामले की परिस्थितियों में समुचित समझे।
(5) इस धारा के अधीन अन्तरित किसी वाद, अपील या अन्य कार्यवाही पर लागू होने वाली विधि वही विधि होगी जिसे वह न्यायालय लागू करता जिसमें वह वाद, अपील या अन्य कार्यवाही मूलतः संस्थित की गई थी।