Section 12. The Commissioner shall, on the Civil side, have power to try and Jurisdiction of determine suits of

12. The Commissioner shall, on the Civil side, have power to try and Jurisdiction of determine suits of every description without limitation in value m~ssioner. or amount, and to hear and determine appeals, where ah appeal is allowed by the Code of Civil Procedure in force in the Puajab, from decisions arid orders ACT No. XIX `OF` f 865, 243 exercise the powers of a Sessions Judge as defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure, a,nd to hear appeals from the subordinate Courts according to the pi-ovisions of the same Code relating to the hearing of appeals by the Sessions Court. 13. Every suit shall be instituted in tlie Court of the lowest grade corn. Court in xThi;h suit petent to try it : Provided that no suit cognizable by a Court shall be instituted. of Small Causes shall be heard or determiued in any other Court having a.ny jurisdictiou within the local limits of the jurisdiction of such Court of Xrnall Causes. 14.[The Deputy Commissioner may direct the business in the Courts sub- ] ordinate to him, holding their sittings at the same place, to be Distributiou of busiCourts subordidistributed anlong such Courts in such way as he shall think Deputy fit: Provided tliat no Court shall try any suit the value or amount of wllicll shall exceed its proper jurisdiction. Distributiou of business in Courts subordito Deputy missloner. `15.` The Comn~issioner or Deputy Commissioner may withdraw any suit instituted in any Court subordinate to him and try such suit Fewer of Commishimself, or refer it for trial to any other Court subordinate to him ~ioner or Deputy Commissioner to withdraw and competent in respect of the value or a~nouut of the suit to try the salne. The Comrrlissiouer may also withdraw any appeal from the Court of any Deputy Commissioner subordinate to him and try the appeal himself or refer it for trial to the Court of any other Deputy Commissioner in his Diyision. Fewer of Commis~ioner or Deputy Commissioner to withdraw 16.[The Judicial Comn~issioner may withdraw any suit or appeal from any ] Power of Judicial Court subordinate to him other than Courts of Small Causes Commissioner to transor Courts of Cantonment Magistrates, and refer such suit or appeal for trial to any other Court subordinate to him and competent in respect of the value or amount of the suit to try the same. `17.`[I f the suit be for immovable property situat,e within the limits of a ] suits for immovable[single District, but within the jurisdiction of different Courts, ] siaerent property situate within jurisdictions the suit may be brought in the Court within whose jurisdiction of single District. any portion of the property is situate, provided that, in respect of the value of the property in suit, the entire claim be cognizable by such Court. I n such case the Court in which the suit is brought sliall apply to tlie District `18,`[If ][the suit be for ininlovable property situate witllin the limits of diff9rent ] 'Districts witl~iu the same Division, the suit inay be brought in Suits for immovable property situated in any Court otherwise compet.ent to try it, within the jurisdiction different Districts. of which any portion of such property is situate ; but in such case . I ACT-No. XIX `OF 1865.` case the Court in which the suit is brought shall apply to the Colnmissioner of the Division for authority to proceed with the same ; and such Commissioner, after hearing the objections, if any, of the defendant, may grant authority accordingly. If the suit is brought in any Court subordinate to the Court of the Deputy Coinmissioner, the application shall be submitted to the Commissioner of the Division through the Deputy Commissioner to whom such Court is subordinate. 19.[If the Districts within the limits of which the immovable property is ] Suits for immovable[situate are subordinate to different Comn~issioners, the ap- ] property sit.~~ate in Districts s~~biect to differ[plication mentioned in the last ][ receding ][Section shall be sub- ] ent comkissioners. mitted to the Commissioner in whose Division the District in which the suit is brought is situate, and such Commissioner, after hearing the objections, if any, of the defendant, may give authority to proceed with the suit. 20.[Whenever the number of cases depending in any District or Divisional ] Local - Government Court shall be so great as to prevent their being disposed of invest additional within a reasonable period, the Local Government may, with the Officers with powers of Commissioner, a n d previous sanction of the Governor-General of India in Council, Small Cause Court Judges with powem invest any Officer with the Civil and Criminal powers of a sioner. of Bssistant CommisDeputy Comn~issioner or Commissioner, as defined in this Act, in such District or Division as the case nlay be. 21.[In any District in which a Settlement of Land Revenue is in progress, the ] Local Government Local Government may, on its own authority, enlpower and may invest special direct the Tahsildars, Assistant Commissioners, Deputy CornOfficers with Civil powers of Commis- missioner, and Commissioner in such District, to exercise their sioners, &c., in Districts in course of respective powers as defined in this Act in suits regarding land, settlement. or the rent, revenue, or produce of land, on the Revenue and not on the Civil side of their Courts. The Local Government may also, with the previous sanction of the Governor-General of India in Council, invest any special Officer in such District with the Civil powers of a Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, or Tahsildar, as defined in this Act, for the purpose of deciding suits in respect to land, or the rent, revenue, or produce of land; such powers to be exercised on the Revenue side: Provided that in all such suits as aforesaid no deviation shall be allowed from the Rules of Civil Procedure in force, and that the powers given under this Section shall continue only so long as Settlement operations are in progress in the District, and shall cease on the termination thereof. 22. I n ally District in which a Settlement of Land Revenue is in progress, Local Goverllment the Local Government may invest the Financial Con~inissioner Commissioner may invest `m` i t h with the powers of the Judicial Commissioner for the purpose powers of Chief Court of trying special appeals from Cornlnissioners and Depnty Comfor certain purposes. missioners in all decisions passed by them in regula,r appeal ACT No. XIX OF 1.865. ullder the tnreuty-first Section of this Act, and wit11 tlie power of a Court of final appeal in any class of snits regarding land, or the rent, revenue, or produce of land : Provided that in the trial of such appeals no deviation shall be Proviso. allowed from the Rules of Civil Procedure in force, and that the power given under this Section shall continue only so long as Settlement operations shall be in progress, and shall cease on the termination thereof. So long as the Fiaancial Commissioner may be invested with powers as aforesaid, the jurisdiction of the Judicial Co~nrnissioner in respect to the appeals hereby made cognizable by the Financial Coininissioner shall be suspended. 23. Whenever in a case of succession or inheritance the claim shall relate not only to land but to land and other property not permanently Exclusion of jurisdiction, under Sections attached to the land comprised in the claim, neither the Revenue 21 and 22, of Reveune Courts and Financial Courts nor Financial Commissioner shall have jurisdiction under Commissioner. the twenty-first or the twenty-second Section of this Act. 24. No decision or order passed by any"Officer in the Punjab and its Saving of decisions Dependencies prior to the passing of this Act, shall be invalid and orders passed before of solely on the ground of a doubt existing as to the authority of Dependencies prior to the passing of this Act, shall be invalid solely on the ground of a doubt existing as to the authority of the. Officer who passed the decision or order. I