COVID-19 limitation relief restored, excluding the pandemic period and extending filing time across judicial proceedings.

The Supreme Court continued its COVID-19 limitation relief and directed exclusion of the period from 15.03.2020 to 28.02.2022 for judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings under general and special laws. The balance limitation available as on 03.10.2021 was ordered to revive from 01.03.2022, and where limitation would have expired during the excluded period, a minimum of 90 days from 01.03.2022 was made available, subject to any longer remaining period. The exclusion was also extended to limitation-related periods under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, the Commercial Courts Act, and the Negotiable Instruments Act.

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Issues: Whether, in view of the COVID-19 surge, the period from 15.03.2020 to 28.02.2022 should be excluded for the purpose of limitation across judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings, with consequential extension of the balance limitation period and application of the exclusion to specified statutes.

Analysis: The order records the continuation of the earlier suo motu limitation relief granted in response to the pandemic. Considering the prevailing public health conditions and the hardship faced by litigants, the Court restored the earlier relaxation regime and directed exclusion of the stated period for all proceedings governed by general or special laws. It further provided that the balance limitation available as on 03.10.2021 would revive from 01.03.2022, and where limitation would have expired during the excluded period, a minimum period of 90 days from 01.03.2022 would be available, subject to a longer balance period. The exclusion was also expressly extended to the limitation-related periods under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, and the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

Conclusion: The limitation period was extended by exclusion of the period from 15.03.2020 to 28.02.2022, with consequential revival and minimum post-01.03.2022 filing time as directed.

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