New Delhi: In a grand ceremony held at five-star hotel in Delhi Wednesday, Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India, presided over the launch of the book “Sarkar Specific Relief Act,” authored by Sudipto Sarkar, Senior Advocate, and Mr. Sidharth Sethi, Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India and Partner at JSA, a leading full-service law firm in India.
Justice Surya Kant, in his keynote address, at the event which attracted a distinguished gathering of judiciary members and legal professionals, commended the authors for their detailed and insightful analysis of the Specific Relief Act. Justice Surya Kant said that India is on a steady path towards becoming one of the largest economies globally, and strong, reliable laws like the Specific Relief Act play a pivotal role in this journey.
He placed significant emphasis on the 2018 amendments to the Act, calling them a significant shift. The amendments, he explained, mark a departure from the earlier legal framework where damages were the primary remedy and specific performance was the exception. The new approach places specific performance at the center, with damages becoming an alternate remedy.
Justice Surya Kant underlined the importance of these changes in fostering a business-friendly environment in India, crucial for attracting foreign investment. The 2018 amendments encourage a more robust and reliable legal framework, instilling confidence in both domestic and international investors by ensuring that agreements are enforced as promised, he said.
He further added that these legal reforms play a pivotal role in positioning India as a prime destination for global investors, supporting the country’s journey toward becoming one of the largest economies in the world.
The event was also attended by Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, as the Guest of Honour. Addressing the gathering, he provided a broader legal context to the discussion, citing various precedents to illustrate how the law relating to specific relief has evolved over time. He emphasized that the amendments introduced in 2018 have had a transformative impact on the enforcement of contracts, the discretion of the courts and the remedies available to parties.
Justice Viswanathan praised the book for its practical utility, noting that it would serve as a reliable reference for both the bar and the bench. He remarked that the book provides an invaluable resource for understanding these changes.