(1) A District Judge may, on the application of the holder of a certificate under this Part, extend the certificate to any debt or security not originally specified therein, and every such extension shall have the same effect as if the debt or security to which the certificate is extended had been originally specified therein.
(2) Upon the extension of a certificate, powers with respect to the receiving of interest or dividends on, or the negotiation or transfer of, any security to which the certificate has been extended may be conferred, and a bond or further bond or other security for the purposes mentioned in section 375 may be required, in the same manner as upon the original grant of a certificate.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 376
Section 376 authorizes the District Judge to extend an existing succession certificate to encompass newly discovered debts and securities without requiring an entirely fresh petition.
Rather than compelling the family to institute an entirely new proceeding, Section 376 empowers the District Judge, upon an application by the certificate holder, to extend the certificate to any other debt or security. The extension is endorsed on the original certificate under the court seal upon payment of the requisite court fees, and operates with the same legal validity as the original grant.
Section 376 saves years of time. When new bank accounts or shares are discovered, counsel should simply file a miscellaneous application for extension under Section 376, annexing the new asset schedule and depositing the court fees. Notice is issued, and the extension is endorsed without reopening the question of heirship.