The New Delhi Bar Association has demanded an increase in the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore, citing rising case pendency and outdated limits. The association said this move would speed up trials and ease the burden on the Delhi High Court.
The New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA) has urged the government and judiciary to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction — the monetary limit that decides which court can hear a civil case — across all Delhi district courts.
In a representation, NDBA secretary Tarun Rana explained that the last revision of the pecuniary jurisdiction for Delhi’s district courts was made in 2015, fixing the limit at Rs 2 crore. Since then, he said, the economic situation and property values have changed, but the jurisdiction limit has remained the same.
“The pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi district courts was last revised in 2015 to Rs 2 crore. Since then, times have changed, values have increased, but our jurisdiction has not,” Rana stated.
He pointed out that the neighbouring regions — Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurugram — already have unlimited jurisdiction, meaning their district courts can hear cases of any financial value. Rana argued that Delhi, being the national capital, should not be left behind in this regard.
According to him, the current jurisdiction limit is creating unnecessary case backlogs in the Delhi High Court.
He said,
“Presently, civil cases of more than Rs 2-crore value are tried by six courts in the Delhi High Court. If the pecuniary jurisdiction is enhanced, such cases will be distributed across over 50 district courts, resulting in a speedy trial,”
Rana added that this change would make the justice system more accessible for litigants, as they would not have to approach the High Court for higher-value cases. Instead, they could approach their district courts directly, saving time and resources.
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He emphasized,
“Litigants would also not have to approach the high court and instead they would move the trial courts in their districts,”
Supporting this demand, NDBA president Nagendra Kumar said that district court advocates strongly believe the current Rs 2 crore limit is outdated and needs a major revision.
He said,
“The advocates of district courts strongly demanded that the jurisdiction be raised upto Rs 20 crore as the present limit was not practical or realistic,”
Kumar also announced that the NDBA will organize a mass meeting and open deliberation on the issue this Saturday at the Patiala House Courts, where advocates will come together to discuss the proposal and present a united front for the demand.
The Bar Association hopes that this revision will ease the burden on the Delhi High Court, reduce pendency, and ensure faster delivery of justice across all districts of the capital.
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