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Friday, 13 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Specific Relief Act, 1963 · Chapter II: Specific Performance Of Contracts

Section 11 Specific Relief Act: Cases in which specific performance of contracts connected with trusts enforceable

Bare Act text

11. Cases in which specific performance of contracts connected with trusts enforceable.—(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, specific performance of a 1[contract shall], be enforced when the act agreed to be done is in the performance wholly or partly of a trust.

(2) A contract made by a trustee in excess of his powers or in breach of trust cannot be specifically enforced.

Amendment notes

  1. Subs. by Act 18 of 2018, s. 4, for “contract may, in the discretion of the court” (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), and except as otherwise provided, the court enforces specific performance of a contract. This applies when the act agreed to be done is, wholly or partly, the performance of a trust. Under sub-section (2), a contract made by a trustee in excess of his powers, or in breach of trust, cannot be specifically enforced. The 2018 amendment replaced the words "contract may, in the discretion of the court" in sub-section (1) with "contract shall".

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