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

Section 32 Specific Relief Act: What instruments may be partially cancelled

Bare Act text

32. What instruments may be partially cancelled.—Where an instrument is evidence of different rights or different obligations, the court may, in a proper case, cancel it in part and allow it to stand for the residue.

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

Where one instrument is evidence of different rights or different obligations, the court can, in a proper case, cancel it only in part. The rest of the instrument is then allowed to stand. So a court need not cancel the whole document where only some of its rights or obligations should be set aside. The power is exercised only where the case properly calls for it, as the words "in a proper case" show.

Chapter V: Cancellation Of Instruments

  1. 31 When cancellation may be ordered
  2. 32 What instruments may be partially cancelled
  3. 33 Power to require benefit to be restored or compensation to be made when instrument is cancelled or is successfully resisted as being void or voidable