Officers, soldiers, sailors or airmen who cannot obtain leave may authorise any person to sue or defend for them
Full Text
(1) Where any officer, soldier, sailor or airman actually serving under the Government in such capacity is a party to a suit, and cannot obtain leave of absence for the purpose of prosecuting or defending the suit in person, he may authorise any person to sue or defend in his stead.
(2) The authority shall be in writing and shall be signed by the officer, soldier, sailor or airman in the presence of (a) his commanding officer, or the next subordinate officer, if the party is himself the commanding officer, or (b) where the officer, soldier, sailor or airman, is serving in military, naval, or air force staff employment, the head or other superior officer of the office in which he is employed. Such commanding or other officer shall countersign the authority, which shall be filed in Court.
(3) When so filed the countersignature shall be sufficient proof that the authority was duly executed, and that the officer, soldier, sailor or airman by whom it was granted could not obtain leave of absence for the purpose of prosecuting or defending the suit in person.
Explanation.—In this Order the expression "commanding officer" means the officer in actual command for the time being of any regiment, corps, ship, detachment or depot to which the officer, soldier, sailor or airman belongs.
Plain English Summary
Enables active military, naval, or air force personnel unable to obtain leave to execute a special written authority countersigned by their Commanding Officer empowering any representative to sue or defend in their stead, which countersignature serves as conclusive statutory proof of due execution and denial of leave.
Key Legal Elements
- Beneficiaries: Serving personnel of the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force).
- Condition: Inability to obtain military leave for personal court attendance.
- Execution Protocol: Signed before and countersigned by the Commanding Officer (CO) or superior staff officer.
- Statutory Proof (Sub-rule 3): Countersignature constitutes conclusive proof that leave was denied and authority was properly granted.
- Dispensation of Stamp Duty: Power of Attorney / Authority form under Order XXVIII is a special statutory instrument exempt from traditional notarization.
Practical Note
Armed Forces Litigation Playbook: 1. Special Statutory Authority vs. General Power of Attorney: Servicemen deployed in operational or remote postings (e.g. Siachen, border areas, naval vessels) do not need to hunt for an Indian notary or visit a sub-registrar. A plain paper authority signed in the presence of and countersigned by their Commanding Officer under Rule 1(2) has statutory force superior to a notarized GPA. 2. Interplay with Indian Soldiers (Litigation) Act, 1925: If a soldier is serving under war-like conditions or special operational conditions, Section 6 and 7 of the Indian Soldiers (Litigation) Act, 1925 mandate that the trial court must stay civil proceedings upon receiving a certificate from the prescribed military authority.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जहां किसी वाद का कोई पक्षकार ऐसा कोई अधिकारी, सैनिक, नौसैनिक या वायुसैनिक है जो सरकार के अधीन ऐसी हैसियत में वास्तविक सेवा कर रहा है और वाद का स्वयं संचालन या प्रतिरक्षा करने के प्रयोजन के लिए अनुपस्थिति की छुट्टी (Leave of absence) प्राप्त नहीं कर सकता, वहां वह अपने स्थान पर वाद लाने या प्रतिरक्षा करने के लिए किसी भी व्यक्ति को प्राधिकृत कर सकेगा।
(2) ऐसा प्राधिकार लिखित रूप में होगा और अधिकारी, सैनिक, नौसैनिक या वायुसैनिक द्वारा (क) अपने समादेशक अधिकारी (Commanding Officer - CO) की उपस्थिति में, अथवा यदि वह पक्षकार स्वयं समादेशक अधिकारी है तो निकटतम अधीनस्थ अधिकारी की उपस्थिति में, अथवा (ख) जहां वह सैन्य, नौसैन्य या वायुसेना के स्टाफ नियोजन में सेवा कर रहा है वहां उस कार्यालय के अध्यक्ष या अन्य वरिष्ठ अधिकारी की उपस्थिति में, जिसमें वह नियोजित है, हस्ताक्षरित किया जाएगा। ऐसा समादेशक या अन्य अधिकारी उस प्राधिकार को प्रतिहस्ताक्षरित (Countersign) करेगा, और उसे न्यायालय में दाखिल किया जाएगा।
(3) इस प्रकार दाखिल किए जाने पर वह प्रतिहस्ताक्षर (Countersignature) इस बात का पर्याप्त सबूत होगा कि वह प्राधिकार सम्यक् रूप से निष्पादित किया गया था तथा वह अधिकारी, सैनिक, नौसैनिक या वायुसैनिक जिसके द्वारा वह दिया गया था, वाद का स्वयं संचालन या प्रतिरक्षा करने के प्रयोजन हेतु छुट्टी प्राप्त नहीं कर सकता था।
स्पष्टीकरण—इस आदेश में "समादेशक अधिकारी" (Commanding officer) पद से उस रेजिमेंट, कोर, पोत (Ship), टुकड़ी या डिपो की, जिससे वह अधिकारी, सैनिक, नौसैनिक या वायुसैनिक संबंधित है, तत्समय वास्तविक कमान संभालने वाला अधिकारी अभिप्रेत है।