Case Law Analysis
|Kerala High Court
Order XXXIII CPC | Indigency for Court Fee Waiver Assessed at Balance Payment Due, Not Filing; Accident-Induced Income Loss Qualifies : Kerala HC
The Kerala High Court ruled that a litigant’s indigent status under Order XXXIII CPC must be evaluated when the balance court fee becomes payable, not at the time of suit filing. This clarifies that sudden financial hardship due to accident or medical emergency can justify pauper status, significantly expanding access to justice for professionals and middle-income litigants facing unforeseen economic shock.