Service of foreign summonses
Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 deals with service of foreign summonses. Summonses and other processes issued by (a) any Civil or Revenue Court established in any part of India to which the provisions of this Code do not extend, or (b) any Civil or Revenue Court established or continued by the authority of the Central Government outside India, or (c) any other Civil or R The Act came into force on 01 Jan 1909.
1[29. Service of foreign summonses.-- Summonses and other processes issued by
(a) any Civil or Revenue Court established in any part of India to which the provisions of this Code do not extend, or
(b) any Civil or Revenue Court established or continued by the authority of the Central Government outside India, or
(c) any other Civil or Revenue Court outside India to which the Central Government has, by notification in the Official Gazette, declared the provisions of this section to apply,
may be sent to the Courts in the territories to which this Code extends, and served as if they were summonses issued by such Courts.]
Section 29, The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act 5 of 1908).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Referred to by 2
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Discovery Drilling Pte Limited vs Parmod Kumar
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A foreign judgment passed by a court lacking competent jurisdiction over the defendant cannot be enforced in India under Section 44A CPC, even if the foreign court is a 'superior Court' of a 'reciprocating territory'. Specifically, where a defendant is added to proceedings in a foreign court without their written consent and the subject matter of the dispute does not fall within the specialized jurisdiction of that court, the foreign court lacks competent jurisdiction to adjudicate the dispute, and the resulting judgment falls within the exception specified in Section 13(a) CPC and is not enforceable in India.
On this section: Relates to service of summons and application of Indian procedural law to foreign court proceedings
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 29
What have the courts held on Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure?
Discovery Drilling Pte Limited vs Parmod Kumar (24 Feb 2025) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Relates to service of summons and application of Indian procedural law to foreign court proceedings.
How do I find court cases under Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: CPC 29, section 29 CPC, section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Discovery Drilling Pte Limited vs Parmod Kumar (24 Feb 2025).
What should I read with Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and has it changed?
2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure come into force?
Section 29 of the Code of Civil Procedure, cited as CPC 29, came into force on 01 Jan 1909, having been enacted on 21 Mar 1908. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
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Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.