Section 16: Personal bars to relief.

The Specific Relief Act, 1963Central Act · Act 47 of 1963

Specific performance of a contract cannot be enforced in favour of a person--

[(a) who has obtained substituted performance of contract under section 20; or]

(b) who has become incapable of performing, or violates any essential term of, the contract that on his part remains to be performed, or acts in fraud of the contract, or wilfully acts at variance with, or in subversion of, the relation intended to be established by the contract; or

(c) [who fails to prove] that he has performed or has always been ready and willing to perform the essential terms of the contract which are to be performed by him, other than terms of the performance of which has been prevented or waived by the defendant.

Explanation.--For the purposes of clause (c),--

(i) where a contract involves the payment of money, it is not essential for the plaintiff to actually tender to the defendant or to deposit in court any money except when so directed by the court;

(ii) the plaintiff [must prove] performance of, or readiness and willingness to perform, the contract according to its true construction.

Where this provision sits

Act	The Specific Relief Act, 1963
Section	16
Marginal note	Personal bars to relief.
Jurisdiction	Central
Status	In force as published by the source
Judgments citing it	23

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

substituted. . Subs. by s. 7, ibid., for clause (a) (w.e.f. 1-10-2018).
substituted. .Subs. by s. 7, ibid., for who fails to aver and prove (w.e.f. 1-10-2018).
substituted. . Subs by s. 7, ibid., for must aver (w.e.f. 1-10-2018).

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