Goa Suits Valuation Bill gets green light, to simplify process

Panaji: The state cabinet on Wednesday granted approval to the Goa Suits Valuation Bill, 2025. The bill aims to provide a new framework for valuing suits in Goa, aligning with the provisions of the Goa Court Fees Act, 2024. This ensures consistency and clarity in the valuation process, which is essential for determining court fees and jurisdiction.

The principal objective of this bill is to prescribe a simple mode of valuing suits relating to land for the purpose of determining the jurisdiction of those courts with respect to them. Most of these suits are cognisable exclusively by civil courts.

The bill states that govt power to make rules determining the value of land for jurisdictional purposes allows govt to make rules in consultation with the high court for determining the value of land for purposes of jurisdiction in the suits specified under clauses of Section 7 of the Court Fees Act.

The bill further states that the rules may determine the value of any class of land, or of any interest in land, in the whole or any part of a local area, and may prescribe different values for different places within the same local area. “Provided that such rules shall provide that the value of land for the purposes of jurisdiction shall in no case be less than the value as determinable for the computation of court fees,” the bill said.

The Goa Suits Valuation Act, 1965, which is currently in force, needs to be amended or replaced by the new bill to reflect the changes brought by the Goa Court Fees Act, 2024. The Goa Suits Valuation Act, 1965, is nearing completion of 60 years, with only one amendment made in 2021, wherein Daman and Diu were omitted from the “Short title” by the Goa Act No. 20 of 2021.

The Goa Suits Valuation Act, 1965, consisting of 10 sections, presently requires more than seven amendments. This makes it prudent for the govt to decide to repeal the 1965 Act and introduce the Goa Suits Valuation Bill, 2025, to provide a comprehensive and updated framework.

Due to the repeal of the Court Fees Act, 1870 (Central Act 7 of 1870) in its application to Goa by the Goa Court Fees Act, 2024, the Goa Suits Valuation Bill, 2025 is necessary. The repeal requires the substitution of the Court Fees Act, 1870, with the Goa Court Fees Act, 2024.