Procedure to enforce orders of the Supreme Court
Full Text
(1) Whoever desires to obtain execution of any decree or order of the Supreme Court shall apply by petition, accompanied by a certified copy of the decree passed or order made in appeal and sought to be executed, to the Court from which the appeal to the Supreme Court was preferred.
(2) Such Court shall transmit the decree or order of the Supreme Court to the Court which passed the first decree appealed from, or to such other Court as the Supreme Court by such decree or order may direct and shall (upon the application of either party) give such directions as may be required for the execution of the same; and the Court to which the said decree or order is so transmitted shall execute it accordingly, in the manner and according to the provisions applicable to the execution of its original decrees.
(4) Unless the Supreme Court otherwise directs, no decree or order of that Court shall be inoperative on the ground that no notice has been served on or given to the legal representative of any deceased opposite party or deceased respondent in a case, where such opposite party or respondent did not appear either at the hearing in the Court whose decree was complained of or at any proceedings subsequent to the decree of that Court, but such order shall have the same force and effect as if it had been made before the death took place.
Plain English Summary
Sets out the statutory mechanism for executing Supreme Court decrees: applying by petition with a certified copy to the High Court, which transmits it to the original trial court for execution as if its own decree; protects decrees from invalidity due to non-service on ex-parte deceased parties.
Key Legal Elements
- Petition to Originating High Court: Petition filed before the High Court from which the Supreme Court appeal arose.
- Certified Copy Mandated: Must annex a certified copy of the Supreme Court's final judgment and decree/order.
- Transmission to Trial Court: High Court transmits the decree to the court of first instance with necessary execution directions.
- Executed as Original Decree: Trial court executes the Supreme Court decree using Order XXI procedures.
- Protection for Ex-Parte Deceased Parties (Sub-rule 4): Order not invalidated by non-service on legal heirs of respondents who were ex parte below.
Practical Note
Executing Supreme Court Decrees via Rule 15: 1. Jurisdictional Mechanism: In State of U.P. v. Mohammad Nooh (AIR 1958 SC 86) and Union of India v. Kantilal (AIR 1980 SC 87), the Supreme Court affirmed that the Supreme Court does not execute its own decrees directly. Under Order XLV Rule 15, the decree-holder must first apply to the High Court, which formally transmits the decree to the executing court of first instance. A direct execution petition filed in the trial court without transmitting through the High Court under Rule 15 is irregular. 2. Sub-rule (4) Protection: Ensures that a victorious appellant in the Supreme Court cannot be frustrated at the execution stage by objections that an ex-parte formal respondent died during pendency and their heirs were not brought on record.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जो कोई उच्चतम न्यायालय की किसी डिक्री या आदेश का निष्पादन प्राप्त करने की वांछा रखता है, वह उस न्यायालय को जिससे उच्चतम न्यायालय को अपील की गई थी, अपील में पारित और निष्पादित कराई जाने वाली डिक्री या आदेश की प्रमाणित प्रति संलग्न करते हुए याचिका द्वारा आवेदन करेगा।
(2) ऐसा न्यायालय उच्चतम न्यायालय की डिक्री या आदेश को उस न्यायालय को भेजेगा जिसने वह पहली डिक्री पारित की थी जिसके विरुद्ध अपील की गई थी, अथवा ऐसे अन्य न्यायालय को भेजेगा जिसे उच्चतम न्यायालय ऐसी डिक्री या आदेश द्वारा निदेश दे, और (किसी भी पक्षकार के आवेदन पर) उसके निष्पादन के लिए अपेक्षित निदेश देगा; और वह न्यायालय जिसे उक्त डिक्री या आदेश इस प्रकार भेजा जाता है, उसका निष्पादन तदनुसार, उस रीति से और उन उपबंधों के अनुसार करेगा जो उसकी अपनी मूल डिक्रियों के निष्पादन को लागू होते हैं।
(4) जब तक कि उच्चतम न्यायालय अन्यथा निदेश न दे, उस न्यायालय की कोई भी डिक्री या आदेश इस आधार पर प्रभावहीन नहीं होगा कि किसी मृत विरोधी पक्षकार या मृत प्रत्यर्थी के विधिक प्रतिनिधि पर किसी सूचना की तामील नहीं की गई थी या नहीं दी गई थी, जहां ऐसा विरोधी पक्षकार या प्रत्यर्थी न तो उस न्यायालय की सुनवाई में जिसकी डिक्री के विरुद्ध परिवाद था, और न ही उस न्यायालय की डिक्री के पश्चातवर्ती किन्हीं कार्यवाहियों में उपसंजात हुआ था, किंतु ऐसे आदेश का वैसा ही बल और प्रभाव होगा मानो वह मृत्यु होने से पूर्व पारित किया गया था।