Chapter III JURISDICTION OF CIVIL COURTS

(1) The State Government may, in consultation with the High Court, by notification, fix and vary, from time to time, the local limits of jurisdiction of any civil court under this Act.

(2) The local limits of jurisdiction of a civil court, existing immediately prior to the appointed date, shall be deemed to be the local limits of jurisdiction of that court.

(1) A Court of District Judge shall be the principal civil court of original jurisdiction within the local limits of its jurisdiction.

(2) Subject to the provisions of the Code, the jurisdiction of a court of District Judge shall extend to all original suits and proceedings of a civil nature.

(3) A Court of District Judge shall, subject to the general control of the High Court, have control over all other civil courts within the local limits of its jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction of the court of a Senior Civil Judge shall extend to all original suits and proceedings of a civil nature, subject to such rules as the High Court may, from time to time make in this behalf.

The jurisdiction of a Court of Civil Judge shall extend to all original suits and proceedings of a civil nature, not otherwise excluded from the jurisdiction of a Court of Civil Judge by any other law, the value of the subject matter of which does not exceed two lakh rupees or such other sum as the High Court may, from time to time specify.

(1) Appeals from the decrees and orders passed by a Court of District Judge in original suits and proceedings of civil nature shall, when such appeals are allowed by law, lie to the High Court.

(2) Appeals from the decrees and orders passed by a Court of Senior Civil Judge in original suits and proceedings of civil nature shall, when such appeals are allowed by law, lie -

(a) to the Court of the District Judge of the district when the amount or value of the subject matter of the original suit or proceedings is less than five lakhs of rupees or such other sum as the High Court may, from time to time, specify;

(b) to the High Court in other cases.

(3) Appeals from the decrees and orders passed by a Court of Civil Judge in suits or proceedings of a civil nature, shall, when such appeals are allowed by law, lie to the Court of District Judge of the district :

Provided that the High Court may, in consultation with the State Government, by notification, direct that such appeals against decrees and orders may lie to the Court of Senior Civil Judge when the amount or value of the subject matter of the suit or proceeding is less than one lakh of rupees and thereupon appeals shall be preferred accordingly.

(4) The provisions of this section will apply to all decrees and orders made after the appointed date irrespective of the fact whether the suits or proceedings in which they are made were instituted before or after the appointed date.

Every civil court under this Act shall require a witness or party to any suit or other proceedings pending in such court to make such oath or affirmation as is prescribed by the law for the time being in force.

(1) The High Court may, by notification, invest, with such restrictions as it shall from time to time determine, any Court of Senior Civil Judge or a Court of Civil Judge, with the jurisdiction for the trial of suits cognizable by a Court of Small Causes established under the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887 upto such amount as it may deem proper.

(2) The High Court may, by notification withdraw or alter whenever it thinks fit such jurisdiction of any Court of Senior Civil Judge or Civil judge, so invested.

(3) (a) The provisions of the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887 applicable to Courts of Small Causes, shall apply to a court invested under sub-section (1) with the jurisdiction of a Court of Small Causes, so far as the exercise of that jurisdiction by those courts.

(b) Nothing in sub-clause (a) shall, with respect to the courts invested with the jurisdiction of a court of Small Causes, apply to suits instituted or proceedings commenced in those courts prior to the date on which they were invested with that jurisdiction.

(4) A court invested with the jurisdiction of a Court of Small Causes under sub-section (1) with respect to the exercise of that jurisdiction and the same court with respect to the exercise of its jurisdiction in suits of civil nature which are not cognizable by a Court of Small Causes shall, for the purposes of this Act and the Code be deemed to be different courts.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act –

(a) when in the exercise of the jurisdiction of a Court of Small Causes, a court invested with that jurisdiction sends a decree for execution to itself as a court having jurisdiction in suits of a civil nature, which are not cognizable by a Court of Small Causes, or

(b) when a court in the exercise of its jurisdiction in suits of a civil nature which are not cognizable by a Court of Small Causes sends a decree for execution to itself as a court invested with the jurisdiction of a Court of Small Causes,

the documents mentioned in rule 6 of Order XXI of the Code shall not be sent with the decree unless in any case the court, by order in writing requires them to be sent.

(1) No judicial officer shall try any suit in which he is a party or personally interested or shall adjudicate upon any proceedings connected with or arising out of such suit.

(2) No judicial officer shall try any appeal against any decree or order passed by himself in any other capacity.

(3) When any such suit, proceedings or appeal referred to in sub-sections (1) and (2) comes before any such judicial officer, he shall report the circumstances to the court to which he is immediately subordinate. The said superior court shall thereupon dispose of the case in the manner prescribed by section 24 of the Code.

The procedure prescribed in the Code shall, save in so far as is otherwise provided by this Act, be followed in all civil courts.