The key provisions governing pecuniary jurisdiction in India are primarily found in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC), supplemented by the Suits Valuation Act, 1887 and the Court Fees Act, 1870. Section 6 of the CPC lays down that no court shall entertain suits exceeding its pecuniary limits, while Sections 15 to 20 regulate where and how suits should be instituted based on jurisdictional competence. The Suits Valuation Act, 1887 provides the framework for determining the monetary value of suits for jurisdictional purposes, and the Court Fees Act, 1870 governs the valuation for court-fee assessment. Together, these laws ensure that every civil suit is filed in a court proportionate to its financial significance, thereby maintaining judicial order and efficiency. State governments, through notifications, prescribe specific pecuniary limits for different courts (e.g., Munsif, Civil Judge, or District Judge), ensuring a structured distribution of cases so that higher courts handle complex, high-value disputes, while lower courts adjudicate smaller claims—thus preserving the balance and accessibility of the justice system.
