This  Bill  seeks  to give effect to the recommendations  of  the  Law
Commission  of  India in its Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth  Reports  on
Civil  Appeals  to  the Supreme Court on certificate of  fitness.    At
present  an  appeal  lies  to  the Supreme Court,  inter   alia,  on  a
certificate  given by a High Court that the amount or the value of the
subject-matter  of dispute is not less than twenty thousand rupees  or
that  the  judgment,  decree  or final  order  involves,   directly  or
indirectly,  some  claim or question respecting property of  the  like
amount.  The valuation cannot be the rational yardstick for a right to
appeal.  An important question of law can arise even in suits of small
value  and the test of valuation results in cases without merit  going
up  to the Supreme Court.  The Law Commission recommended that clauses
(a)  and  (b) of article 133(1) of the Constitution should be  omitted
and  that  an appeal should lie to the Supreme Court only if the  High
Court  certifies that the case involves a substantial question of  law
of  general  importance and that in the opinion of the High Court  the
said question needs to be decided by the Supreme Court.  The amendment
of  the article accordingly would curtail the number of appeals  which
are  filed  in  the Supreme Court merely on the valuation  test   being
satisfied,  without any merit in them.  The Bill seeks to achieve this
object.

NEW DELHI;                                         H.   R. GOKHALE.

The 8th May, 1972.

   THE CONSTITUTION (THIRTIETH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1972

                                        [22nd February, 1973.]

An Act further to amend the Constitution of India.

BE  it enacted by Parliament the Twenty-third Year of the Republic  of
India as follows:-

1.   Short  title  and commencement.-(1) This Act may  be  called  the
Constitution (Thirtieth Amendment) Act, 1972.

(2)  It  shall  come  into  force on  such  date_665  as  the  Central
Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2.   Amendment of article 133.-In article 133 of the Constitution, for
clause (1), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-

"(1)  An  appeal  shall lie to the Supreme Court  from  any  judgment,
decree  or  final order in a civil proceeding of a High Court  in  the
territory of India if the High Court certifies-

(a)  that  the case involves a substantial question of law of  general
importance;  and

(b)  that in the opinion of the High Court the said question needs  to
be decided by the Supreme Court.".

3.   Special provision as to pending proceedings, etc.-(1) Nothing  in
this Act shall affect-

(a)  any  appeal under sub-clause (a) or sub-clause (b) or  sub-clause
(c) of clause (1) of article 133 of the Constitution which immediately
before  the  commencement of this Act was pending before  the  Supreme
Court;  or

(b)  any  appeal  preferred on or after the commencement of  this  Act
against  any judgement, decree or final order in a civil proceeding of
a High Court by virtue of a certificate given by the High Court before
the commencement of this Act under sub-clause (a) or sub-clause (b) or
sub-clause (c) of clause (1) of article 133.

and every such appeal may be heard and disposed of or, as the case may
be, entertained, heard and disposed of by the Supreme Court as if this
Act had not been passed.

(2)  Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), no appeal shall lie
to  the  Supreme  Court  under  clause  (1)  of   article  133  of  the
Constitution from any judgment, decree or final order arising out of a
suit  or  other civil proceeding which was instituted or commenced  in
any  court  before  the commencement of this Act  unless  such   appeal
satisfies the provisions of that clause as amended by this Act.