Free advocate tool · Limitation Act, 1963
Court Limitation & Filing Deadline Calculator
Work out the last day to file a written statement, first appeal, SLP or money suit. The calculator excludes the day of judgment and the certified-copy time under section 12, and shows every step so you can check it.
- Section 12 exclusion
- Order VIII Rule 1 (30/90/120 days)
- Weekend flag (s.4)
Limitation calculator
Results update as you type. Sample dates are filled in.
Last day to file
Sun, 17 Jan 2027
- Day of judgment / start
- Excluded (s.12(1))
- Certified copy days excluded
- 18 days
- Base deadline
- 30 Dec 2026
- Final deadline
- 17 Jan 2027
- The deadline (17 Jan 2027) falls on a Sunday. If the court is closed that day, section 4 of the Limitation Act lets you file on the day it reopens — confirm with the court calendar.
Step by step
- Starting pointThu, 1 Oct 2026
Date of the decree / judgment. Section 12(1) of the Limitation Act excludes this day, so day 1 of the period is 2 Oct 2026.
- Prescribed period90 days
Article 116(a), Schedule to the Limitation Act, 1963 (appeals under the CPC to a High Court).
- Base deadlineWed, 30 Dec 2026
1 Oct 2026 + 90 days.
- Certified copy time (s.12(2))18 days
Applied 3 Oct 2026, ready 20 Oct 2026. Counting both the application day and the day the copy was ready: 3 Oct 2026 to 20 Oct 2026 = 18 days. The application was made within the period (on day 2), so this time is excluded.
- Final deadlineSun, 17 Jan 2027
30 Dec 2026 + 18 excluded days.
Extension and condonation. An appeal filed late can be admitted if the court is satisfied there was sufficient cause for the delay (Limitation Act section 5) — file with an application for condonation of delay explaining each day.
Section 12(2) excludes the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the decree; section 12(3) also excludes the time for a copy of the judgment.
An appeal to a court other than the High Court is 30 days (Article 116(b)).
Days remaining counted from 15 Nov 2026. Court holidays are not known to this tool — check your court's calendar.
General information for advocates, not legal advice. Statutes, rules and court practice directions change; check the bare Act, the latest amendments and your court's rules before relying on any date or section. This free tool is a calculation aid: confirm every date and section against the bare Act before you file or cite.
Method
How this is calculated
- Exclude the first day. Section 12(1): the day from which the period is to be reckoned is excluded. A 90-day appeal from a decree of 1 October therefore runs from 2 October, and day 90 is 30 December.
- Add the prescribed period. Written statement: 30 days from service of summons (Order VIII Rule 1 CPC), extendable to 90 days in ordinary civil suits and to a hard limit of 120 days in commercial suits. First appeal to a High Court from a decree: 90 days (Article 116(a)). SLP: 90 days from the judgment, or 60 days from the refusal of a certificate of fitness (Supreme Court Rules, 2013). Money suits: generally three years under the article that fits the claim.
- Exclude the time requisite for the certified copy. Section 12(2): for an appeal, revision or review, the day the judgment was pronounced and the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the decree or order are excluded. The calculator counts the days from the date the copy was applied for to the date it was ready, both days included, and does not count the judgment day twice when the application was made the same day.
- Only if the copy was applied for in time. If the copy is applied for after the limitation period has already run out, nothing is excluded — the time was not "requisite" for an appeal that was already out of time. Explanation to section 12: time taken by the court to prepare the decree or order before the copy is applied for is not excluded.
- Check the last day. Section 4: where the prescribed period expires on a day the court is closed, the suit, appeal or application may be filed on the day the court reopens. The tool flags a deadline that falls on a Saturday or Sunday, but it cannot know court holidays or vacations — check the court calendar.
- Count down from today. Days remaining are counted from today's date on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the limitation for a first appeal with certified copy time?
Start from the date of the decree, exclude that day (section 12(1)), add 90 days (Article 116(a)), then add the days from the date you applied for the certified copy to the date it was ready (section 12(2) and (3)), provided you applied within the 90 days. The calculator shows each step.
Is the day of applying for the certified copy excluded?
The calculator counts both the day of application and the day the copy was ready as excluded, and does not count the judgment day twice. Registries and benches can differ on how they count the edges, so if you are within a day or two of the deadline, file earlier rather than rely on the margin.
What is the time limit for a written statement in a commercial suit?
30 days from service of summons. The court can allow it up to 120 days from service for reasons recorded and on payment of costs, but not beyond: after day 120 the defendant forfeits the right to file it and the court cannot take it on record.
Can a written statement be filed after 90 days in an ordinary civil suit?
Order VIII Rule 1 allows extension up to 90 days for reasons recorded. In non-commercial suits courts have treated the 90-day limit as directory in exceptional cases, but that is discretionary — treat day 90 as your working deadline.
What is the limitation for an SLP to the Supreme Court?
90 days from the date of the judgment or order under challenge, or 60 days from the date the High Court refused a certificate of fitness where one was applied for. Delay can be condoned on sufficient cause. Check the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 and the Registry's computation.
What if the last day falls on a court holiday?
Section 4 of the Limitation Act lets you file on the day the court reopens if the prescribed period expires on a day the court is closed. The calculator flags weekends; check your court's holiday list and vacation notifications yourself.