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Supreme Court of India· 11 August 2026

Under Section 96 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, does an appeal lie from a decree or from a judgment?

Basudev & Ors v. Sanjay Kumar & Ors
2026 INSC 831 · SLP (C) No.4338 of 2025
Coram: K. Vinod Chandran; J. B. Pardiwala
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Answer

An appeal under Section 96 of the CPC lies from a decree and not from a judgment, though Order XLI Rule 1, as amended with effect from 01.07.2002, permits the Memorandum of Appeal to be accompanied by a copy of the judgment rather than the decree.

Headnote

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — Order VIII Rules 6A to 6D — Order XX Rule 19 — Suit and counterclaim disposed of by a common judgment — Maintainability of a composite appeal — Held: The decisions of various High Courts reveal a cleavage of opinion on whether two separate appeals must be filed against the two decrees — one dismissing the suit, the other allowing the counterclaim, or vice versa — drawn up pursuant to a common judgment, and on whether two decrees are required to be drawn up at all. (¶2, 18) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — Order VIII Rules 6A to 6D — Counterclaim treated as cross-suit — Composite appeal against common judgment maintainable — Held further: Since Order VIII Rules 6A to 6D of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 treat a counterclaim as a cross-suit interlinked with the suit claim so that both are adjudicated together on the evidence led at one trial, a suit and a counterclaim disposed of by a single common judgment can be challenged by a composite appeal; the composite appeal must, however, show the grounds raised against the decree in the suit and the decree in the counterclaim separately, whether one or two decrees have been drawn up, and must be valued and have court fees paid as for two separate appeals. (¶18, 19, 29) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — Composite appeal — First appeal restored — Fresh memorandum with separate grounds permitted — Held further: Since only a single appeal had earlier been filed and was rejected as incompetent, the impugned orders of the High Court and the First Appellate Court are set aside and the first appeal restored; the appellant is permitted to file a fresh memorandum with separate grounds and pay court fees for the additional appeal, to be considered by the First Appellate Court along with the earlier appeal. (¶30, 31)

In the Court's own words
Paragraph 24Section 96 of the CPC provides an appeal from every decree leading to the unequivocal declaration of law by the CA @ SLP (C) No.4338 of 2025 High Courts and this Court, that an appeal is from a decree and not from a judgment. Order XLI Rule 1 as it was before the amendment in 01.07.2002 also required the Memorandum of Appeal to be accompanied by a copy of the decree. As of now, the word ‘decree appealed from and (unless the Appellate court dispenses therewith) of the judgment on which it is founded’ has been substituted with the word ‘judgment’ in Order XLI Rule 1 with effect from 01.07.2002. The intention of the legislature is very clear that the delay in drawing up decrees shall not frustrate the appellate remedy and there should be an end to multiplicity of proceedings.
Acts & Sections
Section 5 of the Limitation ActSection 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Section 96 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Section 152 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order XLI Rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order XLI Rule 33 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order XX Rule 19 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order II Rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Order XX Rule 6A of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908Article 227 of the Constitution of IndiaArticle 141 of the Constitution of India

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Also decided in this judgment
Under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, can a single composite appeal be filed against the two decrees drawn up when a suit and a counterclaim are disposed of by one common judgment?Under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, what must a composite appeal against decrees passed on a suit and a counterclaim show, and how must it be valued for court fees?Under Order VIII Rule 6A to 6D of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, why is a counterclaim not required to be pursued through a wholly separate appeal?
Plain-language answer prepared by the LexStreak Editorial Desk — verify against the judgment. Source: Supreme Court of India. Corrections