Courts shouldn't make litigants regret seeking justice: Supreme Court

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court has issued an important advisory to all courts across the country, asking them not to pass orders that go beyond the scope of the petition and surprise the petitioners. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and KV Vishwanathan said that courts should not issue decisions that make a person seeking justice feel as if they have committed a mistake by coming to court.

The bench emphasized that people approach the court for justice, and courts should deliver their verdicts within the scope of the petition. The court stated, "The petitioner can either be granted relief or denied relief. However, when the court delivers a surprising verdict, the petitioner feels betrayed and humiliated."

The Supreme Court made this comment while hearing a case between the Kochi Devaswom Board and the Chinmaya Mission Educational and Cultural Trust regarding license fees. The trust was allotted land in 1974 to build a hall, and the license fee was a mere ₹227 in 1977. In 2014, the board increased the fee to ₹1.5 lakh annually and demanded ₹20 lakh in arrears.

When the Trust approached the Kerala High Court for relief, the High Court not only upheld the increased fees but also ordered a vigilance inquiry into the land allotment.

On the Trust's appeal, the Supreme Court set aside both orders of the Kerala High Court (the fee re-determination and the investigation order). The Supreme Court held that both orders were beyond the scope of the petition. The bench stated, "Such decisions would leave the petitioner perplexed. This violates the principles of natural justice." The Supreme Court clarified that, with a few exceptions, courts should not exceed the scope of the petition in ordinary cases.