SC indefinitely extends the period of limitation for filing petitions

A bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A.S. Bopanna passed the order citing India's Covid resurgence

Supreme Court of India: File picture

TT Legal Correspondent   |   New Delhi   |  29.04.21  :  The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended indefinitely “until further orders” the period of limitation for filing petitions, applications, suits, appeals and all other proceedings before judicial and quasi-judicial forums, citing the Covid resurgence.

Under the limitation law, petitions, suits and the like have to be filed within a prescribed period, failing which a litigant loses the right to air his or her grievance before the court or tribunal concerned.

“The extraordinary situation caused by the sudden and second outburst of Covid-19... requires extraordinary measures to minimise the hardship of litigant-public in all the states,” Wednesday’s order said.

The bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A.S. Bopanna passed the order while dealing with an application moved by the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association.

The apex court had passed a similar order on March 23 last year but ended the extension of limitation on March 8 this year on the ground that the country was returning to normalcy, with all the courts and tribunals having resumed functioning, physically or in virtual mode.

“We, therefore, restore the order dated 23rd March, 2020, and... direct that the period(s) of limitation, as prescribed under any general or special laws in respect of all judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, whether condonable or not, shall stand extended till further orders,” Wednesday’s order said.