Power to amend and strike out, issues
Full Text
(1) The Court may at any time before passing a decree amend the issues or frame additional issues on such terms as it thinks fit, and all such amendments or additional issues as may be necessary for determining the matters in controversy between the parties shall be so made or framed.
(2) The Court may also, at any time before passing a decree, strike out any issues that appear to it to be wrongly framed or introduced.
Plain English Summary
Vests continuous plenary jurisdiction in the court at any time before passing a decree to amend existing issues, frame additional issues, or strike out erroneous issues necessary to determine the real controversy.
Key Legal Elements
- Continuous Plenary Power: Operates at any stage before the final decree is signed.
- Mandatory Duty under Sub-rule (1): Word 'shall' indicates that if an issue is necessary for determining real controversy, court is duty-bound to frame it.
- Striking Out Spurious Issues (Sub-rule 2): Eliminates redundant, unpleaded, or admitted matters.
- Opportunity to Lead Evidence: When an additional issue is framed, parties are entitled to lead supplementary evidence on that issue.
Practical Note
The Master Guide to Additional Issues under Order XIV Rule 5: 1. Supreme Court Landmark - Kavita Trehan v. Balsara Hygiene Products Ltd. (AIR 1995 SC 441): It is the court's duty to frame all issues necessary to resolve controversy. If an essential plea was inadvertently missed at the first hearing, an application under Rule 5 must be allowed. 2. Supreme Court Ruling in V. Prabhakara v. Basavaraj K. (2022) 1 SCC 115: While additional issues can be framed at any time, if parties were fully aware of the controversy and led evidence thereon, mere omission to frame a specific issue does not vitiate the judgment unless failure of justice is demonstrated. 3. Application Title: 'Application on behalf of Defendant under Order XIV Rule 5 read with Section 151 CPC for Framing of Additional Issue Regarding Limitation / Non-Joinder of Necessary Parties'.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) न्यायालय डिक्री पारित करने से पूर्व किसी भी समय ऐसे निबंधनों पर, जैसे वह ठीक समझे, विवाद्यकों को संशोधित (Amend the issues) कर सकेगा अथवा अतिरिक्त विवाद्यक विरचित (Frame additional issues) कर सकेगा, और ऐसे सभी संशोधन या अतिरिक्त विवाद्यक, जो पक्षकारों के बीच विवादग्रस्त विषयों के अवधारण के लिए आवश्यक हों, इस प्रकार किए या विरचित किए जाएंगे।
(2) न्यायालय डिक्री पारित करने से पूर्व किसी भी समय ऐसे किन्हीं विवाद्यकों को काट (Strike out) भी सकेगा जो उसे गलत रूप से विरचित या प्रविष्ट प्रतीत होते हैं।