Thursday, April 30, 2020

THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (PUNJAB AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 2020 (VIII of 2020) An Ordinance to amend the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. [29th April, 2020]

ضابطہ دیوانی میں بہترین ترامیم۔ اب دیوانی دعوی کا ایک سال کے اندر اندر فیصلہ کرنا کوئی مشکل کام نہیں۔

THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (PUNJAB AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 2020
(VIII of 2020)

CONTENTS
1. Short title and commencement.
2. Substitution of section 3 of Act V of 1908.
3. Substitution of section 26 of Act V of 1908.
4. Insertion of section 27A in Act V of 1908.
5. Substitution of section 96 of Act V of 1908.
6. Amendment of section 106 of Act V of 1908.
7. Amendment of section 115 of Act V of 1908.
8. Amendment of section 128 of Act V of 1908.
9. Substitution of section 141 of Act V of 1908.
10. Insertion of section 159 in Act V of 1908.


TEXT THE  CODE  OF  CIVIL  PROCEDURE  (PUNJAB  AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE  2020 (VIII  of  2020)

 An Ordinance  to  amend  the  Code  of  Civil Procedure,  1908.
 [29th  April,  2020]

 It  is  expedient  to  amend  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure,  1908  (V  of  1908)  to  bring procedural  reforms  for  smooth  and  swift  dispensation  of  justice;  for  reduction  of backlog  of  civil  cases;  and  for the  matters ancillary  thereto. 

Provincial  Assembly  of  the  Punjab  is  not  in  session,  and  Governor  of  the  Punjab  is satisfied  that  circumstances  exist  which  render  it  necessary  to  take  immediate action.

 In  exercise  of  the  powers  conferred  under  clause  (1)  of  Article  128  of  the Constitution  of  the  Islamic  Republic  of  Pakistan,  Governor  of  the  Punjab  is  pleased to  make  and  promulgate  the  following  Ordinance: 

1. Short  title  and  commencement.–  
(1)  This  Ordinance  may  be  cited  as  the Code  of  Civil  Procedure  (Punjab  Amendment)  Ordinance  2020. 
(2) It  shall  come  into  force  at  once  except  the  provisions  for  electronic maintenance  of  records  and  proceedings  which  shall  come  into  force  on  such  date as the  Government  may  by  notification  in  the  official Gazette  appoint. 

2. Substitution  of  section  3  of  Act  V  of  1908.-  In  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure, 1908  (V  of  1908),  for  brevity  referred  to  as  ‘the  Act’,  for  section  3,  the  following  shall be  substituted: 

 “3.   Hierarchy  of  Courts.-  For  purposes  of  this  Code,  the  hierarchy  of  Civil Courts  shall  be  the  same  as  provided  in  the  Punjab  Civil  Courts  Ordinance, 1962  (II  of  1962).”. 

3. Substitution  of  section  26  of  Act  V  of  1908.-  In  the  Act,  for  section  26,  the following  shall  be  substituted: 

“26.  Institution  of  suits  through  plaint.-   
  (1)  Every  suit  shall  be instituted  by  presentation  of  a  plaint  in  such  manner  as  may  be prescribed. 
(2) The  plaintiff  shall  file  as  many  copies  of  the  plaint  and accompanying  documents  with  the  plaint  as  there  are  defendants  to the  suit,  to  be  sent  along  with  the  summons. 
(3) It  shall  be  duty  of  the  Court  to  maintain  electronic  records of  the  proceedings in  suits  in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed. 

Explanation. For  purposes  of  this  subsection,  the  word  “suits” includes  any  proceeding  in  applications,  appeals,  reviews,  revisions  or anything  incidental thereto. 

26A.  Written  statement.-  
(1)  The  defendant  shall  file  written statement  not  later  than  thirty  days  from  the  date  of  his  first appearance  in  the  Court. 
(2) The  defendant  shall  provide  additional  copies  of  written statement  and  of  the  documents  annexed  therewith  for  each  of  the parties  and  for  the  Court. 
(3) If  the  defendant  fails  to  file  the  written  statement  within the  time  frame  provided  under  subsection  (1),  the  Court  shall  close  the right  to  defend  the  case. 

26B.  Framing  of  issues,  filing  of  list  of  witnesses,  recording  of evidence  and  hearing  of  final  arguments.-  
(1)  The  Court  shall,  within seven  days of  filing  of  the  written  statement,  frame  issues
(2) The  parties  may,  within  seven  days  of  framing  of  the issues,  raise  objections  on  such  issues,  and  shall  provide  a  list  of witnesses and  certificate  of  readiness  for production  of  evidence. 
(3) Upon  framing  of  the  issues,  filing  of  the  list  of  witnesses and  certificate  of  readiness  for  production  of  evidence,  the  Court  may itself  record  the  evidence  or  may  direct  a  Commission  to  record  the evidence  in  the  prescribed  manner. 
(4) For  purposes  of  subsection  (3),  the  Court  shall  appoint  a Commission  from  a  list  of  approved  panel,  comprising  of  advocates and  retired  judges,  maintained  by  the  District  Judge  concerned,  on payment  of  such  fee  and  terms  and  conditions  as  may  be  determined by  the  Court. 
(5)   The  Court  or  the  Commission,  as  the  case  may  be,  shall complete  recording  of  evidence  and  proceedings  in  writing  and  through audio  and  video  recording  within  ninety  days  of  fulfilment  of  the requirements  contained  in  subsection  (3). 
(6) The  Court,  upon  completion  of  evidence  of  the  parties, shall  complete  the  hearing  of  final  arguments  of  the  parties  within twenty  days: 
Provided  that  the  parties  may  file  written  arguments  in  the  Court within  the  time  frame  under this subsection.”. 

4. Insertion  of  section  27A  in  Act  V  of  1908.-  In  the  Act,  after  section  27,  the following  section  27A  shall  be  inserted: 

“27A.  Process  of  summons.-  
(1)  The  summons  shall  be  issued simultaneously,  unless  otherwise  ordered  by  the  Court,  to  the  defendant,  by registered  post  acknowledgment  due  and  another  copy  of  the  summons  by courier  service  signed  and  sealed  in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed,  or as  the  Court  may  determine,  by  urgent  mail  service  of  Pakistan  Post,  at  the expense  of  the  plaintiff. 
(2) The Court shall order simultaneous service by-
(a) affixing a copy of the summons at some conspicuous part of the house in which the defendant is known to have last resided or carried on business or personally worked for gain;
(b) any modern device including electronic device of communication which may include mobile, telephone, telegram, phonogram, telex, fax, radio, television etc. in the prescribed manner;
(c) urgent mail service or public courier services;
(d) publication in the press in the prescribed manner; and
(g) any other manner or mode as it may deem fit.

(3) Location  of  the  process  server  serving  the  summons  shall  be monitored  by  modern  devices  in  the  prescribed  manner,  and  the  process  server  shall take  photograph  of  the  defendant  or  the  premises  or  the  person  accepting  service  of summons  on  behalf  of  the  defendant,  which  shall  be  made  part  of  the  record  as  a proof  of  service  of  the  process.”. 

5. Substitution  of  section  96  of  Act  V  of  1908.-  In  the  Act,  in  section  96,  in subsection  (1),  for  the  full  stop  at  the  end,  the  expression  “,  and  the  Court  shall decide  the  appeal  within  sixty  days  from  the  date  of  first  appearance  of  the respondent  in  appeal.”  shall  be  substituted. 

6. Amendment  of  section  106  of  Act  V  of  1908.-  In  the  Act,  for  section  106, the  following  shall  be  substituted: 

“106.  What  Courts  to  hear  appeals.-  
(1) Where  an  appeal  from  any  order  is allowed,  it  shall  lie  to  the  Court  to  which  an  appeal  would  lie  from  the  decree in  the  suit  in  which  such  order  was  made,  or  where  such  order  is  made  by  a Court  not  being  the  High  Court  in  exercise  of  appellate  jurisdiction,  then  to  the High  Court.

 (2) A  Court  shall  decide  an  appeal  under  subsection  (1)  within  thirty days of  the  first  appearance  of  the  respondent.”. 

7. Amendment of section 115 of Act V of 1908.-In the Act, in section 115:
(a) in subsection (1), in the second proviso, for the word “six”, the word “three” shall be substituted;
(b) in subsection (2), for the full stop at the end, the expression “, and the District Court shall decide the application within two months from the date of first appearance of the respondent.” shall be substituted.

8. Amendment of section 128 of Act V of 1908.- In the Act, in section 128, in subsection (2):
(a) in clause (i), the word “and” appearing after the semicolon shall be omitted;
(b) in clause (j), for the full stop at the end, the expression “; and” shall be substituted;
(c) after clause (j), the following new clause (k) shall be added
“(k) case management.”.

9. Substitution of section 141 of Act V of 1908.- In the Act, for section 141, the following shall be substituted:
“141. Proceedings regarding interlocutory applications.- (1) The Court hearing a suit shall concurrently hear the interlocutory applications filed in the suit according to such timelines and in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) The filing of any application under subsection (1), including an application for the rejection of the plaint or dismissal of a suit, shall be no ground to halt the proceedings in the suit or to dispense with or waive the requirement of filing a written statement within the timelines as provided in this Code.”.

10. Insertion of section 159 in Act V of 1908.- In the Act, after section 158, the following section 159 shall be inserted:

“159. Savings of proceedings.- All proceedings instituted prior to coming  into force of this Ordinance shall be dealt in accordance with the provisions of the Act which existed prior to coming into force of this Ordinance.

Explanation. In this section, the expression “proceedings” includes suits, appeals, reviews, revisions, execution applications and anything incidental thereto.”.

No comments:

Post a Comment

WHY YOU ANGRY