In Brief
South Delhi Municipal Corporation challenged a High Court judgment that had allowed a civil suit despite provisions in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act seemingly barring such suits. The Supreme Court held that while Sections 169 and 171 of the DMC Act restrict civil suits, the jurisdiction of civil courts cannot be entirely eliminated by statute. The Court found that the prescribed statutory appeal mechanism—which required deposit of the entire disputed amount—was not an effective remedy. Invoking the principle "ubi jus ibi remedium" (where there is a right, there must be a remedy), the Court allowed the appeal, confirming that civil courts retain jurisdiction when statutory remedies are procedurally inaccessible.
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