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Thursday, 12 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Specific Relief Act, 1963 · Chapter II: Specific Performance Of Contracts

Section 14A Specific Relief Act: Power of court to engage experts

Bare Act text

14A. Power of court to engage experts.—(1) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions contained in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), in any suit under this Act, where the court considers it necessary to get expert opinion to assist it on any specific issue involved in the suit, it may engage one or more experts and direct to report to it on such issue and may secure attendance of the expert for providing evidence, including production of documents on the issue.

(2) The court may require or direct any person to give relevant information to the expert or to produce, or to provide access to, any relevant documents, goods or other property for his inspection.

(3) The opinion or report given by the expert shall form part of the record of the suit; and the court, or with the permission of the court any of the parties to the suit, may examine the expert personally in open court on any of the matters referred to him or mentioned in his opinion or report, or as to his opinion or report, or as to the manner in which he has made the inspection.

(4) The expert shall be entitled to such fee, cost or expense as the court may fix, which shall be payable by the parties in such proportion, and at such time, as the court may direct.] PERSONS FOR OR AGAINST WHOM CONTRACTS MAY BE SPECIFICALLY ENFORCED

Amendment notes

  1. Subs. by Act 18 of 2018, s. 5, for section 14 (w.e.f. 1-10-2018).

Text of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 (Act No. 47 of 1963), as amended up to the Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Under sub-section (1), in any suit under this Act, the court can engage experts to report on a specific issue. It must consider expert opinion necessary. It can also secure the expert's attendance to give evidence and produce documents. Under sub-section (2), the court can require any person to give the expert relevant information. It can also require access to documents, goods or other property for inspection. Under sub-section (3), the expert's report forms part of the record. The court, or a party with its permission, can examine the expert in open court on the report, the opinion or the inspection. Under sub-section (4), the court fixes the expert's fee, costs and expenses. It also directs the parties' shares and the time of payment. Section 14A was added by the Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018, with effect from 1 October 2018.

Chapter II: Specific Performance Of Contracts

  1. 9 Defences respecting suits for relief based on contract
  2. 10 Specific performance in respect of contracts
  3. 11 Cases in which specific performance of contracts connected with trusts enforceable
  4. 12 Specific performance of part of contract
  5. 13 Rights of purchaser or lessee against person with no title or imperfect title
  6. 14 Contracts not specifically enforceable
  7. 14A Power of court to engage experts
  8. 15 Who may obtain specific performance
  9. 16 Personal bars to relief
  10. 17 Contract to sell or let property by one who has no title, not specifically enforceable
  11. 18 Non-enforcement except with variation
  12. 19 Relief against parties and persons claiming under them by subsequent title
  13. 20 Substituted performance of contract
  14. 20A Special provisions for contract relating to infrastructure project
  15. 20B Special Courts
  16. 20C Expeditious disposal of suits
  17. 21 Power to award compensation in certain cases
  18. 22 Power to grant relief for possession, partition, refund of earnest money, etc
  19. 23 Liquidation of damages not a bar to specific performance
  20. 24 Bar of suit for compensation for breach after dismissal of suit for specific performance
  21. 25 Application of preceding sections to certain awards and testamentary directions to execute settlements
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