Code of Civil Procedure / Cost Per Click

CPC Full Form in English, letter by letter

CPC most often means the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, India's law on how civil cases are filed and decided, and also cost per click in advertising.

CPC Full Form in Indian Languages

A law student and an online advertiser read CPC differently. Code of Civil Procedure is the legal meaning, shown below in six Indian languages.

What the Code of Civil Procedure Is

CPC in law stands for the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. It is the statute that sets out how civil suits are filed, tried, appealed and enforced in India's courts. Other laws decide who is right, for example a contract or property law, while the CPC decides the steps, the order and the time limits of the case.

It came into force on 1 January 1909 and has been amended many times, including major amendments in 1976, 1999 and 2002. The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 also changed the procedure for commercial disputes above a specified value.

How the Code Is Organised

The Code has 158 sections and 51 Orders, with appendices of prescribed forms. The sections state general principles such as jurisdiction, res judicata and appeals. The Orders, each with numbered rules, give the step-by-step procedure.

Parts that law students meet often: Section 9 on courts trying civil suits, Section 11 on res judicata, Section 20 on where a suit may be filed, Section 80 on notice to the government, Section 89 on settlement outside court, Order VII on plaints, Order VIII on written statements and Order XXI on execution of decrees.

How a Civil Suit Moves

A suit begins with a plaint and a court fee, filed within the limitation period set by the Limitation Act, 1963, which is three years for many money claims. The court issues summons to the defendant, who generally has to file a written statement within 30 days, extendable up to 90 days in ordinary suits.

The court frames issues, hears evidence and gives judgment, which leads to a decree. Execution of the decree under Order XXI is the stage most litigants find slow, when a winning party has to recover money or property.

While the case is pending, either side can ask for interim protection. Under Order XXXIX a court may grant a temporary injunction, for example to stop a sale or a demolition, so that the subject of the dispute exists when the final judgment arrives. Section 89 also directs the court to consider mediation, conciliation, arbitration or Lok Adalat where a settlement looks possible.

Appeals and the Criminal Counterpart

A first appeal under Section 96 can raise questions of fact and law. A second appeal under Section 100 lies to the High Court only on a substantial question of law, which is narrower than many litigants expect.

Do not confuse the CPC with the CrPC, which governed criminal procedure until the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita replaced it on 1 July 2024, along with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing the IPC. The Civil Procedure Code was not replaced and remains in force.

Other Meanings of CPC

In digital advertising, CPC means cost per click, the amount an advertiser pays each time someone clicks an ad. It is total spend divided by clicks. In geopolitics, CPC can also mean the Communist Party of China. In law exams and court papers, CPC means the Code of Civil Procedure.

For anyone filing or defending a civil case, the CPC is the rulebook. Reading the sections and Orders that apply to your case, along with the limitation period, avoids most early mistakes.

CPC Full Form: Common Questions