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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 VII: Plaint

Order VII Rule 14 CPC: Production of document on which plaintiff sues or relies

Bare Act text

[14. Production of document on which plaintiff sues or relies.—(1) Where a plaintiff sues upon a document or relies upon document in his possession or power in support of his claim, he shall enter such documents in a list, and shall produce it in Court when the plaint is presented by him and shall, at the same time deliver the document and a copy thereof, to be filed with the plaint.

(2) Where any such document is not in the possession or power of the plaintiff, he shall, wherever possible, state in whose possession or power it is.

[(3) A document which ought to be produced in Court by the plaintiff when the plaint is presented, or to be entered in the list to be added or annexed to the plaint but is not produced or entered accordingly, shall not, without the leave of the Court, be received in evidence on his behalf at the hearing of the suit.]

(4) Nothing in this rule shall apply to document produced for the cross-examination of the plaintiffs witnesses, or handed over to a witness merely to refresh his memory.]

Amendment notes

  1. Subs. by Act 46 of 1999, s. 17, for rule 14 (w.e.f. 1 -7-2002).
  2. Subs. by Act 22 of 2002, s. 8, for sub-rule (3) (w.e.f. 1-7-2002).

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

A plaintiff who sues upon a document, or relies on a document in his possession or power, must enter it in a list and produce it in Court when presenting the plaint, delivering the document and a copy to be filed with it. If the document is not in his possession or power, he must where possible state who has it. A document that ought to have been produced or listed but was not cannot, without the Court's leave, be received in evidence for him at the hearing. The 1999 and 2002 amendments shaped this rule.

Order VII: Plaint

  1. 1 Particulars to be contained in plaint
  2. 2 In money suits
  3. 3 Where the subject-matter of the suit is immovable property
  4. 4 When plaintiff sues as representative
  5. 5 Defendant’s interest and liability to be shown
  6. 6 Grounds of exemption from limitation law
  7. 7 Relief to be specifically stated
  8. 8 Relief founded on separate grounds
  9. 9 Procedure on admitting plaint
  10. 10 Return of plaint
  11. 10A Power of Court to fix a date of appearance in the Court where plaint is to be filed after its return
  12. 10B Power of appellate Court to transfer suit to the proper Court
  13. 11 Rejection of plaint
  14. 12 Procedure on rejecting plaint
  15. 13 Where rejection of plaint does not preclude presentation of fresh plaint
  16. 14 Production of document on which plaintiff sues or relies
  17. 15 Statement in case of documents not in plaintiff’s possession or powers (Omitted)
  18. 16 Suits on lost negotiable instruments
  19. 17 Production of shop-book
  20. 18 Inadmissibility of document not produced when plaint filed (Omitted)
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