U. H. JOSEPH AND Others vs SETTLEMENT COMMISSIONER AND Other
This petition for leave to appeal arose from the dismissal of a Constitutional petition by the Lahore High Court regarding the transfer of property under the Settlement Scheme. The petitioners challenged the restoration of property to the respondents after it had been resumed, alleging multiple transfers. Following the dismissal of their Constitutional petition and the subsequent rejection of their Intra-Court Appeal as incompetent, the petitioners filed the current petition before the Supreme Court. A preliminary issue arose regarding a 12-day delay in filing the petition. The core legal question was whether the time spent prosecuting an incompetent Intra-Court Appeal could be condoned as a bona fide pursuit of a legal remedy. The Supreme Court held that the petitioners failed to demonstrate that they had diligently or in good faith pursued their remedy, noting that the incompetence of the Intra-Court Appeal had been brought to the attention of their counsel during the proceedings. Consequently, the Court refused to condone the delay, holding that the petition was time-barred and dismissing it accordingly.
- Can the time spent prosecuting an incompetent Intra-Court Appeal be condoned as a bona fide pursuit of a legal remedy?
- Does the mere filing of an incompetent appeal constitute sufficient grounds for the condonation of delay in filing a petition for leave to appeal?
ORDER
SHAFI-UR-REHMAN, J.-The petitioners seek leave to appeal against the judgment of the Lahore High Court, dated 17.7-1980 whereby the Constitutional petition filed by them was dismissed.
2. Property No. 47 was transferred in earmarking to respondents 2 to S on 17-12-1959. . It was resumed by the Deputy Settlement Commissioner on 27-9-1971. However, the resumption order was set aside by the Deputy Settlement Commissioner on 13-10-1971 and the property was restored to them. Meanwhile, the petitioners who were locals filed forms under Settle--ment Scheme No. VIII for the transfer of the same. Their claim was rejected on 21-12-1971. On the ground that the resumption order had been set aside. They thereafter moved the Chief Settlement Commissioner with a grievance that more than one property was transferred to the respondents in the earmarking. This matter was got examined and the Settlement Commissioner on 11-6-1975 held that it was not a case of multiple transfer. The petitioners challenged the restoration and the transfer of the property to the respondents by a Constitutional petition which was dismissed on 17- 7-1975. They filed an Intra-Court Appeal which was held on 1-12-1975 to be incompetent.
3. It has been reported by the office that this petition is barred by 12 days. There is an application for the condonation of the delay and the reason given is that the petitioners had been diligently and in good faith prosecuting the remedy by way of an intra-Court Appeal which was found to be incompetent.
4. It appears from the record that on 14-10-1975 the attention of the learned counsel for the petitioners appearing before the Appeal Bench in the High Court had been drawn to the question of the competence of such an appeal. The original orders which were challenged were manifestly such as were appealable and in fact appeals had been preferred.
5. In the circumstances, we are not satisfied about the petitioners having bona fide or diligently pursued their remedy under a mistaken belief that an Intra-Court Appeal was competent. We do not find satisfactory grounds to condone the delay and dismiss this petition as time barred.