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

Section 20B Specific Relief Act: Special Courts

Bare Act text

20B. Special Courts.—The State Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, shall designate, by notification published in the Official Gazette, one or more Civil Courts as Special Courts, within the local limits of the area to exercise jurisdiction and to try a suit under this Act in respect of contracts relating to infrastructure projects.

Amendment notes

  1. Subs. by Act 18 of 2018, s. 10, for section 20 (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

The State Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, designates one or more Civil Courts as Special Courts. It does so by notification in the Official Gazette. Each Special Court exercises jurisdiction within the local limits of its area. It tries suits under this Act about contracts relating to infrastructure projects. The 2018 amendment put this provision in place of the earlier section 20.

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
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