Court Fees Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1870
Section 21 of Court Fees Act: Tables of process-fees
Official Bare Act Text
Override / Mandate Mens Rea (Intent) Actus Reus (Conduct) Punishment Limitation Monetary
A table in the English and Vernacular languages, showing the fees chargeable for such service and execution, shall be exposed to general view in a conspicuous part of each Court.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 21
Section 21 of the Court Fees Act, 1870 requires tables of the process-fees chargeable under Section 20 to be published in English and the local vernacular language and exposed to view in every court.
Public Display of Fee Tables: A table in the English and vernacular languages, showing the fees chargeable for such service and execution, shall be exposed to view in a conspicuous part of each Court.
Litigant Protection Against Extortion: Ensures transparency and prevents court registry clerks or process-servers from charging unauthorized excess amounts from litigants.
Administrative Compliance: Presiding judges have an administrative duty to verify the display of updated process tables.
Key Landmark Precedents:
State of Punjab v. Satnam Singh, 1991 Cri LJ 1120: Held that procedural transparency rules under fiscal enactments protect citizens against arbitrary bureaucratic overcharging.
All India Judges Association v. Union of India, (2002) 4 SCC 247: Emphasized the duty of trial courts to maintain transparent notice boards displaying statutory fee schedules.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:
Advocates and litigants can verify process charges against the Section 21 notice board in the court complex before purchasing process stamps or paying nazarat charges.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 21
Section 21 of the Court Fees Act, 1870 requires tables of the process-fees chargeable under Section 20 to be published in English and the local vernacular language and exposed to view in every court.
Advocates and litigants can verify process charges against the Section 21 notice board in the court complex before purchasing process stamps or paying nazarat charges.