Duty of pleader to communicate to Court death of a party
Full Text
Wherever a pleader appearing for a party to the suit comes to know of the death of that party, he shall inform the Court about it, and the Court shall thereupon give notice of such death to the other party, and, for this purpose, the contract between the pleader and the deceased party shall be deemed to subsist.
Plain English Summary
Imposes a mandatory professional duty on an advocate to formally notify the court upon learning of their client's death, directing the court to serve notice on the adversary, and deeming the advocate's vakalatnama to subsist for this limited purpose.
Key Legal Elements
- Professional Obligation on Pleader: Mandatory duty to disclose client's death upon acquiring knowledge.
- Court Notice to Adversary: Court officially communicates fact of death to the opposing party.
- Deemed Subsistence of Retainer: Vakalatnama survives death for the sole purpose of informing the court.
- Starting Point for Limitation: Opponent cannot be faulted for delay prior to Rule 10A communication.
Practical Note
Strategic Impact of Rule 10A on Abatement: 1. Landmark Precedent - Gangadhar v. Raj Kumar (1984) 1 SCC 121: The Supreme Court held that the purpose of Rule 10A (inserted by the 1976 Amendment) is to eliminate surprise abatements. The period of limitation for substitution under Rule 4 does not begin to run against the plaintiff until the defendant's counsel discharges his statutory duty under Rule 10A by formally communicating the factum of death and disclosing the names/addresses of the legal representatives. 2. Practice Tip for Advocates: Always file a formal Rule 10A Memo immediately upon learning of a client's death to prevent ex parte orders.
हिंदी पाठ
जब कभी वाद के किसी पक्षकार की ओर से उपसंजात होने वाले प्लीडर (अधिवक्ता) को उस पक्षकार की मृत्यु की जानकारी होती है, तब वह न्यायालय को उसकी सूचना देगा, और न्यायालय तब दूसरे पक्षकार को ऐसी मृत्यु की सूचना देगा, और इस प्रयोजन के लिए प्लीडर और मृत पक्षकार के बीच की संविदा (वकालतनामा) बनी रही समझी जाएगी।