Courts and classes of suits to which the Order is to apply
Full Text
(1) This Order shall apply to the following Courts, namely:—
(a) High Courts, City Civil Courts and Courts of Small Causes; and
(b) other Courts:
Provided that in respect of the Courts referred to in clause (b), the High Court may, by notification in the Official Gazette, restrict the operation of this Order only to such categories of suits as it deems proper, and may also, from time to time, as the circumstances of the case may require, by subsequent notification in the Official Gazette, further restrict, enlarge or vary, the categories of suits to be brought under the operation of this Order as it deems proper.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-rule (1), the Order applies to the following classes of suits, namely:—
(a) suits upon bills of exchange, hundies and promissory notes;
(b) suits in which the plaintiff seeks only to recover a debt or liquidated demand in money payable by the defendant, with or without interest, arising,—
(i) on a written contract, or
(ii) on an enactment, where the sum sought to be recovered is a fixed sum of money or in the nature of a debt other than a penalty; or
(iii) on a guarantee, where the claim against the principal is in respect of a debt or liquidated demand only.
Plain English Summary
Defines the forum applicability and the specific classes of commercial claims eligible for the expedited summary procedure: negotiable instruments (bills, hundies, promissory notes) and liquidated debts arising under written contracts, enactments, or guarantees.
Key Legal Elements
- Applicable Courts: High Courts (original jurisdiction), City Civil Courts, Small Cause Courts, and civil courts notified by High Courts.
- Negotiable Instruments: Bills of exchange, cheques (dishonoured cheques), hundis, and promissory notes.
- Liquidated Demand / Debt: Ascertained monetary sum; unliquidated damages or tortious compensation are strictly excluded.
- Three Liquidated Claim Sources: (i) Written contract (invoices, purchase orders, written agreements), (ii) Statutory enactments (fixed statutory liability, non-penal), (iii) Guarantee agreements backing liquidated debts.
- Substituted by 1976 CPC Amendment: Expanded Order XXXVII from mere negotiable instruments to all written commercial debts.
Practical Note
Scope & Eligibility of Summary Suits: 1. Invoices as Written Contracts: In Lohia Properties v. Atmaram Kumar (1993) 4 SCC 6 and KLG Systel Ltd. v. Fujitsu ICIM Ltd. (AIR 2001 Del 380), it was firmly established that acknowledged invoices, purchase orders, and written confirmations of delivery constitute a 'written contract' under Rule 1(2)(b)(i). Summary suits can be maintained on unpaid commercial invoices. 2. Exclusion of Unliquidated Damages: If the plaintiff includes a claim for damages for breach of contract alongside a debt, the entire suit loses its summary character under Order XXXVII and must be tried as an ordinary civil suit.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) यह आदेश निम्नलिखित न्यायालयों पर लागू होगा, अर्थात्:—
(क) उच्च न्यायालय, नगर सिविल न्यायालय (City Civil Courts) और लघुवाद न्यायालय (Courts of Small Causes); तथा
(ख) अन्य न्यायालय:
परंतु खंड (ख) में निर्दिष्ट न्यायालयों के संबंध में उच्च न्यायालय राजपत्र में अधिसूचना द्वारा इस आदेश के प्रवर्तन को केवल वादों के ऐसे प्रवर्गों तक निर्बंधित कर सकेगा जैसा वह उचित समझे, और समय-समय पर जैसा मामले की परिस्थितियों में अपेक्षित हो, राजपत्र में पश्चातवर्ती अधिसूचना द्वारा इस आदेश के प्रवर्तन के अधीन लाए जाने वाले वादों के प्रवर्गों को और अधिक निर्बंधित, विस्तृत या परिवर्तित कर सकेगा।
(2) उप-नियम (1) के उपबंधों के अधीन रहते हुए, यह आदेश निम्नलिखित वर्गों के वादों पर लागू होता है, अर्थात्:—
(क) विनिमय-पत्रों (Bills of exchange), हुंडियों और वचन-पत्रों (Promissory notes) पर आधारित वाद;
(ख) ऐसे वाद जिनमें वादी केवल किसी ऋण (Debt) या धन की परिसमाप्त मांग (Liquidated demand in money) को, ब्याज सहित या रहित, प्रतिवादी से वसूल करना चाहता है, जो—
(i) किसी लिखित संविदा (Written contract) पर, अथवा
(ii) किसी अधिनियमिति (Enactment) पर, जहां वसूल की जाने वाली राशि कोई निश्चित धनराशि हो अथवा शास्ति (Penalty) से भिन्न किसी ऋण की प्रकृति की हो; अथवा
(iii) किसी प्रत्याभूति (Guarantee) पर, जहां मूल ऋणी के विरुद्ध दावा केवल किसी ऋण या परिसमाप्त मांग के संबंध में ही हो, उद्भूत होती है।