Punjab govt committee agrees to reduce court fees for litigants

In an important development in reducing court fees in line with the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the committee formed for the purpose on Tuesday agreed to reduce the fees so that people could be provided immediate justice and that too at cheaper rates, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The committee, which met with Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar and Punjab Law Minister Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth in the chair, agreed that the court fee for obtaining the attested copy of a civil court’s decision or order would be Rs100, while Rs500 would be charged for obtaining the copy of a decision by a high court.

It was also concurred to reduce the per page fee of an attested copy from Rs100 to Rs10.  

The meeting also agreed that the Board of Revenue or commissioners would be charged Rs500 for filing a review petition under the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887.  

Similarly, it was decided that the fee for filing a review petition in a high court under section 15 of the CPC would be Rs500.

There was a consensus that the fee for filing a petition in a civil court in cases, whose value would be less than Rs10,000, should be reduced from Rs100 to Rs10.

Likewise, the meeting concurred that Rs10, and not Rs500, would be charged for filing a rent petition in a revenue court.

Similarly, it was also decided that the field worker filing a petition for the payment of wages would now be charged Rs100 rather than Rs500.  

The meeting also decided that the fee for filing an application for the transfer of a case from one court to another would now be Rs100 rather than Rs500, while Rs10 would be charged for seeking the case’s record.

It was concurred that the fee for filing a claim or an application under the Right of Occupancy would be Rs500.

There was also an agreement that Rs100 would be charged for the submission of an affidavit under the Divorce Act, 1869, while the fee would be the same for submitting a power of attorney to a civil, criminal or revenue court.

The meeting agreed that the fee for the submission of a power of attorney to a high court or the Board of Revenue should be reduced from Rs500 to Rs200, while the fee for the submission of a power of attorney to a family court was abolished.

It was decided that the person would have to pay Rs10, and not Rs500, for filing a petition, seeking ‘stay’ in a case.

It was also concurred to reduce the fee for filing a petition under the Divorce Act of 1869 and the Parsi Marriage Act, 1936 from Rs500 to Rs100.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab law minister said that new rates would be notified following the chief minister’s nod. “CM Maryam’s vision is to provide immediate justice to the people,” he said.

Reporter: Rao Dilshad Hussain