Courts should focus on justice and not let a genuine mistake by a lawyer ruin a party’s case, says the Rajasthan High Court.
The Rajasthan High Court stated that courts should focus on delivering justice rather than strictly following technical rules, especially when lawyers make honest mistakes. This decision came while reviewing a Writ Petition that challenged an order from the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal, which had dismissed the petitioners’ appeals due to lack of prosecution. Justice Dinesh Mehta noted that sometimes, due to genuine errors, a lawyer might forget to provide necessary documents, and in such cases, the Tribunal should prioritize a justice-oriented approach over a strict technical one.
The petitioners’ lawyer argued that the Tribunal had previously issued interim orders in favor of the petitioners, indicating that the case had merit. However, because the lawyer failed to submit the required process fee and notices for the respondents, the Tribunal dismissed the appeals. The lawyer contended that this oversight should not have led to the dismissal of the appeals. The Court referenced a Supreme Court ruling in Ashok Kumar Vs. New India Assurance Co. Ltd, which stated that a litigant should not suffer due to their lawyer’s mistakes.
The Court acknowledged that while the petitioners’ lawyer did not provide the necessary notices, the Tribunal was wrong to dismiss the appeals outright for this reason. Consequently, the Petition was granted.
Cause Title: Ajeet Singh Rathore vs. State Of Rajasthan (2024:RJ-JD:47743)
