Small causes jurisdiction under Section 96(4) CPC limits first appeals to questions of law, not factual reappreciation.

For purposes of Section 96(4) of the Code of Civil Procedure, a suit is tested by the nature of the claim, not by the forum in which it was tried. A money recovery suit falling within the class cognizable by a Court of Small Causes remains subject to the restriction on appeals even if it was tried in a District Munsif's Court. In such matters, the first appellate court cannot reappreciate evidence or disturb findings of fact as though hearing an ordinary first appeal; its interference is confined to questions of law.

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Issues: Whether a suit for recovery of money, though filed in a District Munsif's Court, was a suit of the nature cognizable by Courts of Small Causes for the purpose of Section 96(4) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and whether the lower appellate court could reappreciate facts and evidence in such an appeal.

Analysis: Section 96(4) bars an appeal, except on a question of law, from a decree in a suit of the nature cognizable by Courts of Small Causes where the subject-matter does not exceed the statutory limit. The character of the suit is determined by the nature of the claim, not by the forum in which it was actually tried. A money recovery suit of this kind remains a suit of small causes nature even if the District Munsif, sitting on the small cause side, would not have pecuniary jurisdiction to try it as a small cause suit. The lower appellate court therefore could not treat the matter as an ordinary first appeal and re-examine the evidence on facts.

Conclusion: The suit was of small causes nature and the lower appellate court lacked jurisdiction to reappreciate the evidence and reverse the trial court on facts.

Ratio Decidendi: For the purpose of Section 96(4) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the decisive test is whether the suit is of a nature cognizable by a Court of Small Causes, and if so, the first appellate court cannot go into questions of fact except on a question of law.

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