No abatement by reason of death after hearing
Full Text
Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing rules, whether the cause of action survives or not, there shall be no abatement by reason of the death of either party between the conclusion of the hearing and the pronouncing of the judgment, but judgment may in such case be pronounced notwithstanding the death and shall have the same force and effect as if it had been pronounced before the death took place.
Plain English Summary
Non-obstante protection: guarantees that the death of any litigant between the conclusion of final arguments and the pronouncement of judgment does not abate the suit, giving the judgment full retrospective validity as if delivered during their lifetime.
Key Legal Elements
- Non-obstante Clause: Overrides all preceding rules of Order XXII.
- Critical Interval Protected: Between conclusion of final hearing/arguments and pronouncement of judgment.
- Survival of Cause of Action Irrelevant: Protects even purely personal actions (defamation, divorce).
- Doctrine of Act of Court: Maxim 'Actus curiae neminem gravabit' (an act of the court shall prejudice no one).
Practical Note
Protecting Reserved Judgments: 1. Landmark Authority - N.P. Thirugnanam v. Dr. R. Jagan Mohan Rao (1995) 5 SCC 115: When a court reserves judgment, the judicial function of the parties is complete. If a plaintiff or defendant passes away while the judgment is reserved, no substitution application under Rule 3 or Rule 4 is necessary. The judgment pronounced is completely valid. 2. Appellate Substitution: Legal representatives only need to be brought on record when preferring an appeal against such a judgment.
हिंदी पाठ
पूर्वोक्त नियमों में किसी बात के होते हुए भी, चाहे वाद-हेतुक बचा रहे या न रहे, सुनवाई की समाप्ति (अंतिम बहस) और निर्णय सुनाए जाने के बीच किसी भी पक्षकार की मृत्यु होने के कारण वाद का कोई उपशमन (No abatement) नहीं होगा, अपितु ऐसे मामले में मृत्यु के होते हुए भी निर्णय सुनाया जा सकेगा और उसका वही बल और प्रभाव होगा मानो वह मृत्यु होने से पूर्व सुनाया गया हो।