In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition by defendants seeking to uphold a Trial Court order that had permitted filing a written statement over 4½ years late. The High Court had earlier set aside this condonation order. The Court held that while lawyer negligence may occur, it alone cannot justify condoning extended delays. Litigants bear an independent duty to vigilantly monitor their own cases and cannot simply blame their advocates to obtain relief. The judgment emphasizes that litigants cannot disown their advocates opportunistically to seek judicial favours.
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