Determination of question as to legal representative
Full Text
Where a question arises as to whether any person is or is not the legal representative of a deceased plaintiff or a deceased defendant, such question shall be determined by the Court: Provided that where such question arises before an Appellate Court, that Court may, before determining the question, direct any subordinate Court to try the question and to return the records together with evidence, if any, recorded at such trial, its findings and reasons therefor, and the Appellate Court may take the same into consideration in determining the question.
Plain English Summary
Mandates that conflicting claims to legal representation (e.g., Will vs. Natural Heirs) must be judicially tried and determined by the court seized of the suit or appeal, rather than leaving the suit in limbo.
Key Legal Elements
- Mandatory Judicial Determination: Court cannot defer or avoid deciding who represents the estate.
- Summary Inquiry vs. Res Judicata: Finding under Rule 5 is for carriage of suit only; does not operate as final res judicata in a separate probate/title suit.
- Appellate Court Remand Power (Proviso): Can remit issue to subordinate trial court to record evidence.
- Section 2(11) Definition: Legal representative includes intermeddlers with the estate.
Practical Note
The Limited Effect of Rule 5 Determination: 1. Landmark Authorities - Jaladi Suguna v. Satya Sai Central Trust (2008) 8 SCC 521 & Varadarajan v. Kanakavalli (2020) 11 SCC 384: A determination under Order XXII Rule 5 is solely for the limited purpose of pursuing or defending the civil suit. It does NOT confer an indefeasible title of heirship or operate as res judicata in a regular succession or partition suit. 2. Trial Inquiry: Where one party relies on an unregistered Will and the other on natural succession, the court must record summary evidence under Rule 5 to determine who has the prima facie right to represent the estate.
हिंदी पाठ
जहां यह प्रश्न उठता है कि क्या कोई व्यक्ति किसी मृत वादी या मृत प्रतिवादी का विधिक प्रतिनिधि है या नहीं, वहां ऐसा प्रश्न न्यायालय द्वारा ही अवधारित (Determined by the Court) किया जाएगा: परंतु जहां ऐसा प्रश्न किसी अपीली न्यायालय के समक्ष उठता है, वहां वह न्यायालय प्रश्न का अवधारण करने से पूर्व किसी अधीनस्थ न्यायालय को प्रश्न का विचारण करने और उस विचारण में अभिलिखित साक्ष्य, अपने निष्कर्ष और उसके कारणों सहित अभिलेख लौटाने का निदेश दे सकेगा, और अपीली न्यायालय प्रश्न का अवधारण करने में उन पर विचार कर सकेगा।