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Section 152: Amendment of judgments, decrees or orders

Code of Civil Procedure • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1908
Section 151 All 158 Sections of Code of Civil Procedure Section 153

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 152

Section 152 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 authorizes civil courts to correct clerical or arithmetical mistakes in judgments, decrees, or orders arising from accidental slips or omissions.

  • Statutory Relief & Application: Section 152 enacts: 'Clerical or arithmetical mistakes in judgments, decrees or orders or errors arising therein from any accidental slip or omission may at any time be corrected by the Court either of its own motion or on the application of any of the parties.' The section embodies the fundamental maxim actus curiae neminem gravabit.
  • Appellate & Judicial Remedies: The scope of Section 152 is strictly limited to ministerial, clerical, or typographical errors: an inadvertent mathematical miscalculation of decretal interest, an incorrect date, or a typographical omission of a party's name. Section 152 cannot be used to modify the substantive decision, alter the relief granted, or reconsider findings of law or fact, which can only be corrected through appeal or review.

This section embodies the maxim actus curiae neminem gravabit, authorizing courts to correct accidental clerical and arithmetical errors to ensure decrees reflect true judicial intent.

Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Jayalakshmi Coelho v. Oswald Joseph Coelho, (2001) 4 SCC 181: The Supreme Court held that Section 152 is based on the principle that the court's act shall not prejudice a party; it permits correction only of accidental slips or typographical errors, and cannot be used to modify the substantive consensus or adjudicative findings.
  • State of Punjab v. Darshan Singh, (2004) 1 SCC 328: The Court held that the omission of interest in a decree cannot be rectified under Section 152 where the court never intended to award interest; Section 152 corrects expression, not intention.
Legal Commentary:

An application under Section 152 may be filed 'at any time' without any period of limitation. If a decree contains a miscalculated amount or misspelled khasra number that mirrors an accidental slip in the judgment, counsel can file a simple Section 152 application before the same court for immediate amendment of the decree.

Section 151 All 158 Sections of Code of Civil Procedure Section 153