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Friday, 13 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 · Part II: Execution

Section 44A CPC: Execution of decrees passed by Courts in reciprocating territory

Bare Act text

[44A. Execution of decrees passed by Courts in reciprocating territory.—(1) Where a certified copy of a decree of any of the superior Courts of * * * any reciprocating territory has been filed in a District Court, the decree may be executed in [India] as if it had been passed by the District Court.

(2) Together with the certified copy of the decree shall be filed a certificate from such superior Court stating the extent, if any, to which the decree has been satisfied or adjusted and such certificate shall, for the purposes of proceedings under this section, be conclusive proof of the extent of such satisfaction or adjustment.

(3) The provisions of section 47 shall as from the filing of the certified copy of the decree apply to the proceedings of a District Court executing a decree under this section, and the District Court shall refuse execution of any such decree, if it is shown to the satisfaction of the Court that the decree falls within any of the exceptions specified in clauses (a) to (f) of section 13.

[Explanation 1.—“Reciprocating territory” means any country or territory outside India which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a reciprocating territory for the purposes of this section; and “superior Courts”, with reference to any such territory, means such Courts as may be specified in the said notification.

Explanation 2.—“Decree” with reference to a superior Court means any decree or judgment of such Court under which a sum of money is payable, not being a sum payable in respect of taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty, but shall in no case include an arbitration award, even if such an award is enforceable as a decree or judgment.]]

Amendment notes

  1. Ins. by Act 8 of 1937, s. 2.
  2. The words “the United Kingdom or” omitted by Act 71 of 1952, s. 2.
  3. Subs. by Act 2 of 1951, s. 3, for “the States” (w.e.f. 1-4-1951).
  4. Subs. by Act 71 of 1952, s. 2, for Explanations 1 to 3.

Text of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act No. 5 of 1908), 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 certified copy of a decree of a superior Court of a reciprocating territory has been filed in a District Court, the decree may be executed in India as if passed by that District Court. A certificate from the superior Court must also be filed, stating how far the decree has been satisfied, and it is conclusive proof of that extent. Section 47 applies, and the District Court must refuse execution if the decree falls within any exception in clauses (a) to (f) of section 13. Reciprocating territories are those notified by the Central Government.

Part II: Execution

  1. 36 Application to orders
  2. 37 Definition of Court which passed a decree
  3. 38 Court by which decree may be executed
  4. 39 Transfer of decree
  5. 40 Transfer of decree to Court in another State
  6. 41 Result of execution proceedings to be certified
  7. 42 Powers of Court in executing transferred decree
  8. 43 Execution of decrees passed by Civil Courts in places to which this Code does not extend
  9. 44 Execution of decrees passed by Revenue Courts in places to which this Code does not extend
  10. 44A Execution of decrees passed by Courts in reciprocating territory
  11. 45 Execution of decrees outside India
  12. 46 Precepts
  13. 47 Questions to be determined by the Court executing decree
  14. 48 Execution barred in certain cases (Repealed)
  15. 49 Transferee
  16. 50 Legal representative
  17. 51 Powers of Court to enforce execution
  18. 52 Enforcement of decree against legal representative
  19. 53 Liability of ancestral property
  20. 54 Partition of estate or separation of share
  21. 55 Arrest and detention
  22. 56 Prohibition of arrest or detention of women in execution of decree for money
  23. 57 Subsistence-allowance
  24. 58 Detention and release
  25. 59 Release on ground of illness
  26. 60 Property liable to attachment and sale in execution of decree
  27. 61 Partial exemption of agricultural produce
  28. 62 Seizure of property in dwelling-house
  29. 63 Property attached in execution of decrees of several Courts
  30. 64 Private alienation of property after attachment to be void
  31. 65 Purchaser’s title
  32. 66 Suit against purchaser not maintainable on ground of purchase being on behalf of plaintiff (Repealed)
  33. 67 Power for State Government to make rules as to sales of land in execution of decrees for payment of money
  34. 68 Power to prescribe rules for transferring to collector execution of certain decrees (Repealed)
  35. 69 Provisions of Third Schedule to apply (Repealed)
  36. 70 Rules of Procedure (Repealed)
  37. 71 Collector deemed to be acting judicially (Repealed)
  38. 72 Where Court may authorize Collector to stay Public Sale of Land (Repealed)
  39. 73 Proceeds of execution-sale to be rateably distributed among decree-holders
  40. 74 Resistance to execution