Subject to such conditions and limitations as may be prescribed, any Court may state a case and refer the same for the opinion of the High Court, and the High Court may make such order thereon as it thinks fit:
1[Provided that where the Court is satisfied that a case pending before it involves a question as to the validity of any Act, Ordinance or Regulation or of any provision contained in an Act, Ordinance or Regulation, the determination of which is necessary for the disposal of the case, and is of opinion that such Act, Ordinance, Regulation or provision is invalid or inoperative, but has not been so declared by the High Court to which that Court is subordinate or by the Supreme Court, the Court shall state a case setting out its opinion and the reasons therefor, and refer the same for the opinion of the High Court.
Explanation.In this section,"Regulation" means any Regulation of the Bengal, Bombay or Madras Code or Regulation as defined in the General Clauses Act,1897, (10 of 1897) or in the General Clauses Act of a State.]
1[Provided that where the Court is satisfied that a case pending before it involves a question as to the validity of any Act, Ordinance or Regulation or of any provision contained in an Act, Ordinance or Regulation, the determination of which is necessary for the disposal of the case, and is of opinion that such Act, Ordinance, Regulation or provision is invalid or inoperative, but has not been so declared by the High Court to which that Court is subordinate or by the Supreme Court, the Court shall state a case setting out its opinion and the reasons therefor, and refer the same for the opinion of the High Court.
Explanation.In this section,"Regulation" means any Regulation of the Bengal, Bombay or Madras Code or Regulation as defined in the General Clauses Act,1897, (10 of 1897) or in the General Clauses Act of a State.]
Source footnotes
1. Added by Act 24 of 1951, s. 2 (w.e.f. 1-4-1951).India Code, Government of India. Text fetched 09 Oct 2026. Source metadata reports last modification: 2019-11-29. Check the linked official text and subsequent notifications when applying a provision.