Production of additional evidence in Appellate Court
Full Text
(1) The parties to an appeal shall not be entitled to produce additional evidence, whether oral or documentary, in the Appellate Court. But if—
(a) the Court from whose decree the appeal is preferred has refused to admit evidence which ought to have been admitted, or
(aa) the party seeking to produce additional evidence, establishes that notwithstanding the exercise of due diligence, such evidence was not within his knowledge or could not, after the exercise of due diligence, be produced by him at the time when the decree appealed against was passed, or
(b) the Appellate Court requires any document to be produced or any witness to be examined to enable it to pronounce judgment, or for any other substantial cause,
the Appellate Court may allow such evidence or document to be produced, or witness to be examined.
(2) Wherever additional evidence is allowed to be produced by an Appellate Court, the Court shall record the reason for its admission.
Plain English Summary
Prohibits parties from producing additional evidence in appeal as of right, permitting admission only under three strict statutory gateways: trial court's wrongful refusal, proof of due diligence despite which evidence was unavailable, or requirement by the court to enable judgment or for substantial cause.
Key Legal Elements
- General Prohibition: Appeal is a rehearing on existing record; parties have no vested right to produce new evidence.
- Three Strict Gateways: (a) Wrongful refusal by lower court; (aa) Exercise of due diligence established (1976 Amendment); (b) Required by appellate court itself to pronounce judgment or for substantial cause.
- No Filling of Lacunae: Additional evidence cannot be allowed to patch up gaps or weak points of a negligent litigant.
- Heard at Final Hearing: Application under Rule 27 MUST be heard along with the final arguments on appeal, not decided independently beforehand.
- Reasoned Order Mandatory (Sub-rule 2): Court must record specific reasons for admitting additional evidence.
Practical Note
Landmark Jurisprudence on Order XLI Rule 27: 1. The Golden Rule of Simultaneous Hearing: In Union of India v. Ibrahim Uddin (2012) 8 SCC 148, the Supreme Court authoritatively held that an application for additional evidence under Order XLI Rule 27 cannot be decided at an interlocutory stage before hearing the main appeal. It must be taken up at the time of final hearing, because only after examining the whole evidence can the court determine whether it 'requires' the document to pronounce judgment or whether the evidence on record is already sufficient. 2. Inability to Fill Lacunae: In K. Venkataramiah v. A. Seetharama Reddy (AIR 1963 SC 1526) and Sanjay Kumar Singh v. State of Jharkhand (2022) 7 SCC 247, the Court reaffirmed that the requirement of the court under clause (b) is not meant to enable a party to fill up omissions or lacunae in his original evidence, but to enable the court to do complete justice. 3. Mandatory Requirement of Due Diligence (Clause aa): The applicant must plead and prove specific dates, steps, and reasons why the evidence could not be secured during trial despite due diligence.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) अपील के पक्षकार अपीलीय न्यायालय में अतिरिक्त साक्ष्य, चाहे मौखिक हो या दस्तावेजी, पेश करने के हकदार नहीं होंगे। किंतु यदि—
(क) उस न्यायालय ने जिसकी डिक्री के विरुद्ध अपील की गई है, ऐसा साक्ष्य ग्रहण करने से इंकार कर दिया है जिसे ग्रहण किया जाना चाहिए था, अथवा
(कक) अतिरिक्त साक्ष्य प्रस्तुत करने की ईप्सा रखने वाला पक्षकार यह सिद्ध कर देता है कि सम्यक तत्परता (Due Diligence) बरतने पर भी ऐसा साक्ष्य उसकी जानकारी में नहीं था अथवा सम्यक तत्परता के उपरांत भी उसके द्वारा उस समय पेश नहीं किया जा सका जब वह डिक्री पारित की गई थी जिसके विरुद्ध अपील की गई है, अथवा
(ख) अपीलीय न्यायालय को निर्णय सुनाने में स्वयं को समर्थ बनाने के लिए अथवा किसी अन्य पर्याप्त हेतुक (Substantial Cause) के लिए किसी दस्तावेज का पेश किया जाना या किसी साक्षी की परीक्षा किया जाना अपेक्षित हो,
तो अपीलीय न्यायालय ऐसा साक्ष्य या दस्तावेज पेश किए जाने अथवा साक्षी की परीक्षा किए जाने की अनुज्ञा दे सकेगा।
(2) जब कभी अपीलीय न्यायालय द्वारा अतिरिक्त साक्ष्य पेश करने की अनुज्ञा दी जाती है, तब न्यायालय उसके ग्रहण के कारणों को अभिलिखित करेगा।