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Friday, 13 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 · Order XXVI: Commissions

Order XXVI Rule 16A CPC: Questions objected to before the Commissioner

Bare Act text

[16A. Questions objected to before the Commissioner.—(1) Where any question put to a witness is objected to by a party or his pleader in proceedings before a Commissioner appointed under this Order, the Commissioner shall take down the question, the answer, the objections and the name of the party or, as the case may be, the pleader so objecting:

Provided that the Commissioner shall not take down the answer to a question which is objected to on the ground of privilege but may continue with the examination of the witness, leaving the party to get the question of privilege decided by the Court, and, where the Court decides that there is no question of privilege, the witness may be recalled by the Commissioner and examined by him or the witness may be examined by the Court with regard to the question which was objected to on the ground of privilege.

(2) No answer taken down under sub-rule (1) shall be read as evidence in the suit except by the order of the Court.]

Amendment notes

  1. Ins. by Act 104 of 1976, s. 75 (w.e.f. 1-2-1977).

Text of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act No. 5 of 1908), First Schedule, as amended, including the changes for commercial disputes made by the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Where a party or his pleader objects to a question put to a witness before a Commissioner, the Commissioner must take down the question, the answer, the objection and the name of the objecting party or pleader. If the objection is on the ground of privilege, he does not record the answer but continues the examination, leaving the Court to decide privilege; the witness may later be recalled or examined by the Court. Answers so taken down are read as evidence only by the Court's order. Inserted by the 1976 amendment.

Order XXVI: Commissions

  1. 1 Cases in which Court may issue commission to examine witness
  2. 2 Order for commission
  3. 3 Where witness resides within Court’s jurisdiction
  4. 4 Persons for whose examination commission may issue
  5. 4A Commission for examination of any person resident within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Court
  6. 5 Commission or request to examine witness not within India
  7. 6 Court to examine witness pursuant to commission
  8. 7 Return of commission with depositions of witnesses
  9. 8 When depositions may be read in evidence
  10. 9 Commissions to make local investigations
  11. 10 Procedure of Commissioner
  12. 10A Commission for scientific investigation
  13. 10B Commission for performance of a ministerial act
  14. 10C Commission for the sale of movable property
  15. 11 Commission to examine or adjust accounts
  16. 12 Court to give Commissioner necessary instructions
  17. 13 Commission to make partition of immovable property
  18. 14 Procedure of Commissioner
  19. 15 Expenses of commission to be paid into Court
  20. 16 Powers of Commissioners
  21. 16A Questions objected to before the Commissioner
  22. 17 Attendance and examination of witnesses before Commissioner
  23. 18 Parties to appear before Commissioner
  24. 18A Application of order to execution proceedings
  25. 18B Court to fix a time for return of Commission
  26. 19 Cases in which High Court may issue commission to examine witness
  27. 20 Application for issue of commission
  28. 21 To whom commission may be issued
  29. 22 Issue, execution and return of commissions, and transmission of evidence to foreign Court
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