Project Report

ON
Pleading: meaning, basic
rules of pleading and a
draft- application for
amendment of pleading
Serial Number Particulars
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
2. Introduction
3. Meaning of Pleadings
4. Function and Object of Pleadings
5. Fundamental Rules of Pleadings
6. Alternative Pleas:
9. Bibliography
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my
teacher
“TEACHERS NAME” who gave me the golden opportunity
to do this wonderful project on the topic (pleading: meaning,
basic rules of pleading and a draft- application for
amendment of pleading) which also helped me in doing a lot
of research and I
came to know about so many new things I am really thankful
to her.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends
who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the
limited time frame.

DATE: YOUR NAME

-
 PLEADING

Introduction:
Drafting in its general connotation means, putting one‟s own ideas in writing.
Drafting of any matter is an art. Drafting of legal matters requires greater skills
and efficiencies. It requires thorough knowledge of law, procedure, settled
judicial principles, besides proficiency in English Language. A perfect drafting
of matters in relation to Suits, Applications, Complaints, Writ petition, Appeals,
Revision, Reviews and other such matters connected therewith shall obviously
leads to good result in terms of money, time, energies and expectation of not
only the learned members of the Bench, but also the Bar as well as the parties to
the litigation. It creates a congenial atmosphere where the glory of the judiciary
and the Law grows to sky-heights. So in the case with regard to the drafting of
Deed of Conveyancing.

“Drafting, Pleadings and Conveyancing” (DPC) is made as a compulsory

practical subject study forming part of the curriculum of the Law Course in
India. It envisages, inter alia, drafting of Civil Pleadings; Criminal complaints
and other proceeding; Writ Petition, Appeal- Civil, Criminal and Writ;
Revisions-Civil and Criminal, Reviews, Writ Appeals-Civil and Criminal, and
also Special Leave Petition; Contempt Petition, Interlocutory Applications, etc.
A student who acquires the requisite knowledge, perfection and proficiency in
drafting of these matters, shall undoubtedly become a perfect legal professional.
He will be an asset in the legal world.
As per Section 26 of CPC says that every suit shall be instituted by the
presentation of a plaint or in such manner as may be prescribed. In some cases a
civil proceeding may be instituted means of a petition or even by an application;
however that particular manner of presentation should be prescribed. For
example, institution of a case for a matrimonial relief shall be by presentation of
petition. According to Order 4, rule 1 CPC every suit shall be instituted by
presentation of a plaint to the Court or such officer as it appoints in this behalf.

Meaning of Pleadings
Pleadings are the statement of facts in writing drawn up and filed in a Court by
each party to am case stating therein what his contention shall be at the trial and
giving all such details as his opponent will need to know in order to prepare his
case in answer. In India there are only two pleading in a suit as defined under
Order 6, rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, it says that pleading means
“Plaint or Written Statement”. This definition is not very clear in itself. The
plaint and written statement are defined in the following clauses:

(a)Plaint: A statement of claims, called the “plaint” in which the plaintiff sets
out his cause of action with all necessary particulars; and

(b)Written Statement: A statement of defences, called the “written statement”

which the defendant deals with every material fact alleged by the Plaintiff in the
plaint and also sets any new facts which tells in his favour, adding such
objection as he wishes to take to the claim.

Beside the plaint and the written statement, order pleading that may be filed,
may be classed under two heads: (i) subsequent pleadings, and (ii) additional
pleadings.

(i)Subsequent Pleadings: The only subsequent pleading which is filed as a

matter of right, without the leave of the court, is a written statement of a
plaintiff by way of defence to a plea set-off set up by a defendant in the written
statement of his defences. No other pleading subsequent to the written statement
of a defendant other than that by way of defence to a plea of set off can be
presented except with the leave of the court and upon such terms as the court
may think proper. But the Court may at any time require a written statement or
an additional written statement from any of the parties and fix a time for
presenting the same (O.8, r.9). Any ground of defence which has arisen after the
institution of the suit or the presentation of the written statement, may be, raised
by the plaintiff or the defendant as the case may be, in his written statement (O.
8, r.9). This is also a subsequent pleading. The subsequent pleading, i.e., this
written statement in some states is also termed as “replication”. This term was
formerly used in England where plaintiff‟s written statement is now called
“reply”.

(ii)Additional Pleading: Although no pleading subsequent to the written

statement of a defendant other than by way of defence to a plea of set-off can be
presented without the leave of the court, yet the court may at any time require a
written statement or additional written statement from any of the parties, i.e.,
plaintiff or defendant or both (O.8, r.8). The additional pleadings are not
subsequent pleadings in the true sense of the term. They are pleading by way of
further and better statement of the nature of the claim or defence or further and
better particular of any matter or state in the pleadings. These pleading may be
ordered under order 6, rule 5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Under the English Law, pleading has been defined as follows: “pleading
includes any petition or summons and also include the statement in writing of
the claim or demand of any plaintiff and of the defence of any defendant thereto
and of reply of the plaintiff to nay counter-claim of a defendant.”
Function and Object of Pleadings

The object of pleadings is to assist the Court and the parties to the dispute in its
adjudication. Its function is of multi-dimension, and is in various ways. Stable
j., Pinston v. Loyds Bank Ltd., (1941) 2 K.B. 72, has expressed the function of
pleading in the following words:

“The function of a pleading is not simply for the benefit of the parties but also
and perhaps primarily for the assistance of a Court by defining with precision
the area beyond which without the leave of the court, and consequential
amendment of pleading, conflict must not be allow to extend”.

“The while object of pleading is to give a fair notice to each party of what the
opponent‟s case is to; ascertain with precision, the points on which the parties
agree and those on which the they differ and thus to bring the parties to is also a
definite issue. The purpose of pleading is also eradicate irrelevancy. The parties,
thus themselves know what are the matters left in dispute and what facts whey
have to prove at the trial. They are saved from the expense and trouble of
calling evidence which may prove unnecessary in view of the admission of the
opposite party. And further, by knowing before hand, what point the opposite
party raise at the trial they are prepared to meet them and are not taken by
surprise as they would have been, had three been no rules pleadings to compel
the parties to lay bare their cases before the opposite party prior to the
commencement of the actual trial”.

Truly speaking the object of the pleading is to narrow down the controversy of
the parties to definite issue. The sole object of pleadings is that each side may
be fully active to the question that are about to be argued in order that they may
have an opportunity of bringing forward such evidence as may be appropriate to
the issues. The Court has no power to disregard the pleading and reach
conclusions that they think are just and proper.

A few year ago Hon‟ble Mr. Justice Lord William of the Calcutta High Court
in the case of, strongly emphasise the need of careful study of the art of
pleading and condemned the obscure pleading which were shocking and were
filed even in Calcutta High Court. It is, therefore, the duty of every advocate to
take extreme care in drafting of his pleadings. There is no force in saying that
the pleading in this country are not to be strictly construed. Has this been the
object of the law of pleading the framers of the Code of Civil Procedure would
not have laid down the rules of civil pleadings.

A select committee of eminent lawyers having knowledge of Indian conditions

was appointed to frame the present Code of Civil Procedure which has been
amended and redrafted in 1976. Order 6, 7 and 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure
are very important from the point of view of drafting of pleading in the High
Court and Mofussils Court. Appendix A to the Code of Civil Procedure contains
some model form of pleadings which are useful. Unfortunately these forms are
seldom consulted by the mofussil pleader the reason being that the pleadings are
being drafted by their clerks who are not trained in this direction and do not
have legal knowledge.

The pleading should always be drawn up and conducted in such manner so as to

evolve some clear and definite issues i.e., some definite propositions of law and/
or fact, asserted by one party and denied by the other. But both the parties must
agree on the points sought to be adjudicated upon in action. When this has been
fairy and properly ascertained then following advantages flow from pleadings:

(i) It is a benefit to the parties to know exactly what are the matters left in
dispute. They may discover that they are fighting about nothing at all; e.g. when
a plaintiff in an action of libel finds that the defendant does not assert that the
words are true, he is often willing to accept an apology and costs, and so put an
end to the action.

(ii)It is also a boon to the parties to know precisely what facts they must prove
at the trial; otherwise, they may go to great trouble and expense in procuring
evidence of facts which their opponent does not dispute. On the other hand, if
they assume that their opponent will not raise such and such a point, they may
be taken suddenly by surprise at the trial.

(iii)Moreover, it is necessary to ascertain the nature of the controversy in order

to determine the most appropriate mode of trial. It may turn out to be a pure
point of law, which should be decided by judge.

(iv)It is desirable to place on record the precise question raised in the action so
that the parties or their successor may not fight the same battle over and again.

Fundamental Rules of Pleadings

The English law of pleading has got four fundamental rules of pleading upon
which Order 6 of the Code of Civil Procedure is based which are set out as
under:

1.Every pleading must state facts and not law.

2.It must state all material facts and material facts only.

3.It must state only the facts on which the party‟s pleading relies and not the
evidence by which they are to be proved; and

4.It must state such facts concisely, but with precision and certainty.

(1) Facts, not law: The first fundamental rule pleading is that neither provisions
of law nor conclusion of mixed law and facts, should be alleged in a pleading.
The pleading should be confined to facts only and it is for the judge to draw
such interference from those facts as are permissible under the law of which he
is bound to take judicial notice.

Illustration

It will not be sufficient to state that „Abu Mohammad made a gift of his
property‟ to the plaintiff. The plaintiff should allege here the gift was made,
how it was accepted and how possession was delivered; because these are the
facts which constitute a valid gift under Muhammedan Law. To allege that „Abu
Mohammad made a gift‟ will be a conclusion of law from the facts which are
not to be state directly in the pleading. Secondly, in a suit for damages for
negligence, it is not enough for the plaintiff to state that the defendant has been
guilty of negligence‟ without showing how and in what respect he was
negligence and how he became bound to use due care to prevent an injury to
other. Thirdly, when then defendant has to reply to the claim of the plaintiff in a
money suit, it is not sufficient for him to state that „the defendant does not owe
to the plaintiff‟. But he must allege such factwhich go to prove that in the
circumstances the defendant does not owe to the plaintiff. The defendant should
state that he never borrowed from the plaintiff, or good were never ordered, or
were never delivered, or that they were not equal to the sample.

It is not sufficient in a suit upon a contract for the defendant to, merely, plead
the „the contract is rescinded‟, The defendant must plead in what manner and
by what means he contends that is was rescinded.

The fundamental rule of pleading is that a pleading shall affirmatively contain

only a material fact on which the party relies and it shall not contain facts which
are only evidence by which such material facts are to be proved. The reason for
not mentioning the law in the pleading is that it is the duty of the court to find
out and examine all plea of Law that may be applicable to the facts of the case.
However, the parties can make their submission about law any time. For
example, the non maintainability of the suit which is a point of law, can be
urged although no specific plea has been raised in the pleading. The rule that
every pleading must state facts and not law or an interference of law has got
following exceptions.

(a) Foreign Laws: The court do not take any judicial notice of foreign laws and
hence they must be pleaded as facts. The status of the foreign country intended
to be relied upon should be set-forth as substantially as any other facts. .

(b)Mixed question of Laws an facts: Where a questions is one of mixed law

and fact, it is permissible and proper to plead both the facts and the legal
conclusion. For instance, the defendant may say that the suit is barred by the
law of limitation, or he may say he is entitled to set off after narrating the facts
on which he bases his conclusions.

(c)Condition precedent: The Code of Civil Procedure provides that any

condition precedent the performance of which is intended to be contested shall
be distinctly specified in the pleading of the plaintiff or defendant (Order 6 r.6
of C.P.C.), as for instance, the legality of the notice under section 80, C.P.C.

(d)Custom and Usage of Trades: Custom and usage of any trade and business
shall be pleaded like any other facts, if a party wants to rely on them. But a
custom repeatedly brought before Court and recognised by them regularly is
deemed to have acquired the force of law and need not be pleaded. For example,
an occupancy tenant is entitled by local custom and usage to cut trees growing
upon his holding it is not necessary for the occupancy tenant to plead this
custom, if he wishes to rely on this right to cut the trees. Similarly, a party who
wishes to rely on the usage of a particular trade and business and if it is at
variance with any provision of the Contract Act, he must not plead the usage of
such trade and business with its detailed incident. If it is not pleaded, no
evidence to prove it shall be admitted.

(e)The facts of negligence, right or liability, unlawful or wrongful act should be

specifically pleaded. Every plea of fact should be specifically raised and proved.
(2) Material facts: The second fundamental rule of pleading is that every
pleading shall contain only a statement of material facts ion which the party
pleading relies for his claim or defence. This rule has been enunciated in Order
6, ruke2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The rule that the material facts should
be not a technically and that an omission to observe it may increase the
difficulty in the Court‟s task of ascertaining the rights of the parties. Further,
every pleading must state facts which are material at the present stage of the
suit. Now, the question arises what is material fact? The fact which is essential
to the Plaintiff‟s cause of action or to the defendant‟s defence which each prove
or fail is material fact.

Now, the question that what facts are material, is not very easy to answer.
However, it can be said that fact is material for the pleading of a party which he
is bound to prove at the trial unless admitted by the other party before he can
succeed in his claim or defence. If one is in reasonable doubt about a particular
fact as a material fact it is better for him to plead that fact rather than omit it
because unless a fact is pleaded he shall not be allowed to prove it at the hearing
of the suit. A plea of fraud and misrepresentation in a suit must set forth full
particulars of fraud and misrepresentation, because these particulars constitute
material facts unless raised by the plaintiff or the defendant in his pleading, he
will not be allowed to prove at the trial.

Of course, a material fact can be inserted in the pleading by amendment which

is the right of the plaintiff and defendant; but when a pleading is amended one is
likely to be saddled with the cost of other side. When suit is brought under a
particular statute, all facts which are necessary to bring the suit under the statue
must be alleged. When a rule of law applicable to a case has an exception to a
case has an exception to it, all facts are material which tend to take the case out
of the rule or out of exception. For instance:
(1)If a childless Mohammedan widow claims one-fourth share in the property of
her husband as allowed by Shia law, she must allege that her husband was a
Shia.

(2)Where Plaintiff claims right of pre-emption u/s 15(2)(b) of Punjab pre-

emption Act, he must plead the necessary facts in respect of his claim.

(3)Where a plaintiff claims an alternative relief, he must plead facts entitling

him, for such relief.

(4)Where the question of age or time affects the right of the parties, the facts
should be specifically pleaded.

(5)Every plea of facts must be specifically pleaded, and proved. Court cannot
allow party to the suit to lead evidence inconsistent whit his plea inspite of
object of objection by the other party is allowed to lead evidence in rebuttal
does not cure the legal defect.

(6)Where a plaintiff sues on the basis of a title he must state the nature of the
deed from which he has derived title.

(7)The plea that a woman claiming maintenance has lost her right due to
continuous desertion or living in adultery should be specifically raised.

(8)Where the plea is based on custom, it must be stated in the precise form what
the custom is. For instance, if a childless Mohammedan widow claims one-
fourth share in the property of her husband as allowed by Shia Law, she must
allege that her husband was a Shia. The following are exception to this
fundamental rule of pleading.

(a)Content of documents: Whenever the content of document are material, it

shall be sufficient in any pleading to state the effect thereof as briefly as
possible without setting out whole or any part thereof unless any precise words
thereof are material.
Foe instance, if plaintiff‟s claim is based on a sale-deed, it is sufficient to state
that “defendant has sold the property to the property to the plaintiff by a sale-
deed dated......”

(b)Matters of Inducement: it means introductory or prefatory facts which

should be stated in the first and second paras in the body of the plaint or written
statement. Though it is not necessary yet sometimes it is desirable to commence
a plaint with some introductory allegations stating who the parties are, what
business they carry on how they are related and connected and other
surrounding circumstances leading up to the dispute. Though these are not
material facts yet these are allowed in England and hence in India too. But the
matter of inducement should be reduced to the minimum need.

(3) Facts, Not Evidence: The third fundamental rule of pleading has been laid
down by Order 6, rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. It says that every
pleading must contain a statement of material facts but not the evidence by
which they are to be proved. The material facts on which a party relies are
called Facta Prabantia, i.e. the facts to be proved , and they should be stated in
the pleadings. The evidence or facts by which Facta Probantia are to be proved
are called Facts Probantia, and they are not to be stated in the pleadings. Facta
Probantia are not the facts in issue but only relevant facts which will be proved
at the trial in order to established facts in issue. For instance, in a suit of
damages for malicious prosecution the plaintiff should only allege in the plaint
that the defendant was actuated by malice in prosecuting him. He must not
allege that he had previously given evidence against the defendant and the
defendant had vowed to take revenge. The plaintiff is by all means entitled to
tender evidence to prove this fact. Secondly, in a policy of life insurance, the
condition that the policy shall be void, if the holder dies of his own hand, in the
defence it is not necessary to state that the assured brought the pistol a few days
before his death and made all preparation to kill himself. It is sufficient to state
in defence that the assured died of his own hand. In some cases where the facts
in issue and relevant facts are so mixed up that it is very difficult to separate
them and if it is so the relevant facts may be stated. For example, where custom
is based on village administration paper, which is the basis of claim and its sole
proof. In such cases the record has to be pleaded. In the Punjab Rewaje Aam
(customs)are contained by the Manual of Customary Law which records
customs, are only evidence and it is nor necessary to refer to them in plaints.

(4) Concise Form with Precision and Certainty: The material facts must be
stated in a summary form, succinctly and in a strict chronological order. All
unnecessary allegations and their details should be omitted in order to attain
brevity in pleadings. Pleading is not a place for fine writing but only assertion
of hard facts. It is desirable to go straight to the point and state fact, boldly,
clearly and concisely and to avoid all paraphrasing and all circumlocutions. As
far as possible an active voice should be preferred to passive in pleading. The
same person or thing should be called by the same name throughout the
pleading. The pleading shall be divided into paragraph numbered consecutively.
Dates sums and numbers shall be expressed in figures, even though the pleading
should be concise, it should never be obscure. It should be both concise , as well
as precise. The parties cannot change the case and get the relief.

As already discussed the unnecessary facts should be omitted from the

pleadings. Let us summarise them.

(1)Matters of law, (2)Matters of evidence, (3)Matters not alleged in the

opponent‟s pleading, (4)Matters presumed by law, (5)The performance of
condition precedent, (6)The words of documents, (7)Matters affecting cost only,
(8)Matters not material to the case, (9)The defendant need not plead to the
prayer of the plaintiff, (10)The defendant need not plead to the damages
claimed or their amount. The above details should not be pleaded in a pleading.
A good pleader should bear in mind the following points in relation to a
pleading:

(1) Describe the names and places accurately and spell them correctly and adopt
the same spelling throughout.

(2) One should always avoid the use of pronoun as „He‟, „She‟, „This‟, or
„That‟. the plaintiff or the defendant should not be addressed by their names at
some place and at some place by the word „Plaintiff‟ and „ defendant‟, call
them throughout your pleading by the expression „the plaintiff‟ and „the
defendant‟ as the case may be. Where one has to distinguish between two or
more plaintiff or defendant, call in your pleading, „the plaintiff Ramashankar‟
or „the defendant-Hariharan‟ as the case may be.

(3) A lawyers should allege all facts boldly and plainly. he should use the
language of the document or the act itself; and he should not invent his own
language however correct it may be, e.g. of a policy becomes void in case, “the
assured shall die of his own hand.” Now, inthis case while drafting the pleading
instead “ the assured killed himself” or he committed suicide,” plead that “the
assured died of his own hand.”

(4) A lawyer should allege all facts boldly and plainly. He should avoid ifs and
buts. As far as possible complex sentences should also be avoided. Facts should
not be repeated. Pleading should be divided into separate paragraphs and as far
as possible only one fact should be contained by one paragraph embodying all
necessary particulars in the pleading.

(5) Every pleading shall be signed by the party and his advocate and, if the party
is unable to sign the pleading it may be signed by this agent.

(6) Every pleading shall be verified by the party or the parties. A verification
can also be made by any other person if acquainted with the facts of pleadings.
False verification is an offence punishable by the Indian Penal Code.
(7) In cases where a corporation is a party, pleading may be verified by
Secretary or by the director or by any other principal officer of that corporation
who is able to depose the facts of the case. in verification clause one should
denote according to the numbers of paragraph o his own knowledge and what
he verified upon the information received and verified to be true.

Alternative Pleas:

Law does not prohibit a plaintiff from relying on several distinct and different
rights in the alternative or a defendant from raising as many distinct and
separate defences as he like. For example, a plaintiff may sue for possession of
a house belonging to A, as an adopted son of A, and in the alternative under a
will executed by A in the plaintiff‟s favour. A plaintiff may claim proprietary
right in a land, or, in the alternative easementary right In an action for pre-
emption the defendant is not prohibited from setting up a plea of estoppels in
addition to a plea of denial of custom of pre-emption. A Hindu person claiming
under a sale deed from a Hindu widow may support his claim by pleading that
the widow separated during the life time of her husband and hence she was the
owner of the property which she had sold to him, or in the alternative the widow
was in possession for ever 12 years and thus became owner by adverse
possession.

A defendant in money suit due on promissory note against him may plead that
he did not execute the promissory note, and in the alternative the plaintiff claim
is barred by the law of limitation. But it must be carefully borne in mind by the
draftsman and separately be stated in the pleading. The Court will not allow any
such pleas on the ground covered by implication unless specifically set out.
Thus, in a suit by a son to set aside certain transfers made by his mother on the
ground of unsoundness of mind of his mother at the time or the transfer and
further averred that the donee was residing with his mother and was completely
under his dominion and control and the donee knew the mental condition of the
donor.
Bibliography:

Refered Sources:

•www.lawfaculty.du.ac.in

•www.academia.edu

•www.icsi.edu

•www.cacsnetwork.co.in

•Textbook on PLEADINGS, DRAFTING & CONVEYANCING by A.B.

Kafaltiya