Judgment when pronounced
Full Text
(1) The Court, after the case has been heard, shall pronounce judgment in an open Court, either at once, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable and when the judgment is to be pronounced on some future day, the Court shall fix a day for that purpose, of which due notice shall be given to the parties or their pleaders: Provided that where the judgment is not pronounced at once, every endeavour shall be made by the Court to pronounce the judgment within thirty days from the date on which the hearing of the case was concluded but, where it is not practicable so to do on the ground of the exceptional and extraordinary circumstances of the case, the Court shall fix a future day for the pronouncement of the judgment, and such day shall not ordinarily be a day beyond sixty days from the date on which the hearing of the case was concluded, and due notice of the day so fixed shall be given to the parties or their pleaders.
[Commercial Courts Amendment]
(1) The Commercial Court, Commercial Division, or Commercial Appellate Division, as the case may be, shall, within ninety days of the conclusion of arguments, pronounce judgment and copies thereof shall be issued to all the parties to the dispute through electronic mail or otherwise.
(2) Where a written judgment is to be pronounced, it shall be sufficient if the findings of the Court on each issue and the final order passed in the case are read out and it shall not be necessary for the Court to read out the whole judgment.
(3) The judgment may be pronounced by dictation in open Court to a shorthand writer if the Judge is specially empowered by the High Court in this behalf: Provided that, where the judgment is pronounced by dictation in open Court, the transcript of the judgment so pronounced shall, after making such correction therein as may be necessary, be signed by the judge, bear the date on which it was pronounced, and form a part of the record.
Plain English Summary
Mandates open court pronouncement of judgment within 30 days (extendable to 60 days in exceptional cases) of hearing conclusion; commercial courts must pronounce within 90 days with digital copies emailed to parties.
Key Legal Elements
- Pronouncement in Open Court: Essential judicial characteristic under public scrutiny.
- 30-Day Mandatory Window: General timeline for delivering civil judgments.
- 60-Day Outer Limit: Maximum extension permissible only for exceptional recorded reasons.
- Commercial Suit 90-Day Timeline: Concluded arguments to judgment within 90 days with email transmission.
- Operative Part Sufficient (Sub-rule 2): Reading issue findings and final relief satisfies pronouncement.
- Shorthand Dictation (Sub-rule 3): Valid when judge is empowered by High Court rules.
Practical Note
Enforcing Judgments Delayed Beyond 30/60 Days: 1. Landmark Ruling - Anil Rai v. State of Bihar (2001) 7 SCC 318: The Supreme Court laid down detailed guidelines regarding delayed judgments. If judgment is reserved and not pronounced within 2 months, a party can file an application to know the date; if not pronounced within 3 months, either party can move the Chief Justice of the High Court to withdraw the case and assign it to another bench for fresh arguments. 2. In Commercial Practice: If a commercial court reserves judgment beyond 90 days, file an administrative memo drawing attention to the statutory ceiling under the Commercial Courts Act.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) न्यायालय, मामले की सुनवाई हो जाने के पश्चात, खुले न्यायालय में या तो तुरंत अथवा उसके पश्चात यथासाध्य शीघ्र निर्णय सुनाएगा और जब निर्णय किसी भविष्य के दिन सुनाया जाना हो, तो न्यायालय उस प्रयोजन के लिए एक दिन नियत करेगा, जिसकी सम्यक सूचना पक्षकारों या उनके प्लीडरों को दी जाएगी: परन्तु जहां निर्णय तुरंत नहीं सुनाया जाता है, वहां न्यायालय द्वारा मामले की सुनवाई समाप्त होने की तारीख से तीस (30) दिन के भीतर निर्णय सुनाने का हर प्रयास किया जाएगा, किन्तु जहां मामले की असाधारण परिस्थितियों के आधार पर ऐसा करना साध्य न हो, वहां न्यायालय निर्णय सुनाने के लिए भविष्य का कोई दिन नियत करेगा जो साधारणतया सुनवाई समाप्त होने से साठ (60) दिन से आगे का नहीं होगा।
[वाणिज्यिक न्यायालय संशोधन]
(1) वाणिज्यिक न्यायालय या वाणिज्यिक प्रभाग बहस समाप्त होने के नब्बे (90) दिन के भीतर निर्णय सुनाएगा और उसकी प्रतियां इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मेल (ई-मेल) या अन्यथा सभी पक्षकारों को जारी की जाएंगी।
(2) जहां लिखित निर्णय सुनाया जाना है, वहां प्रत्येक विवाद्यक पर न्यायालय के निष्कर्ष और पारित अंतिम आदेश को पढ़कर सुनाना पर्याप्त होगा और पूरा निर्णय पढ़ना आवश्यक नहीं होगा।
(3) यदि न्यायाधीश उच्च न्यायालय द्वारा विशेष रूप से सशक्त है, तो निर्णय खुले न्यायालय में आशुलिपिक को बोलकर सुनाया जा सकेगा।