How to Appeal a Civil Court Decree in Pakistan: 30 Days or 90 Days
Lost a civil case in Pakistan? You get 30 days to appeal to a District Judge and 90 days to a High Court. See how copy time counts and what a late appeal needs.
Short answer: Under the Limitation Act, an appeal against a civil court decree must be filed within 30 days if it goes to a District Judge, and within 90 days if it goes to a High Court. The days count from the date of the decree, and the time needed to get a copy is not counted.
A court has just ruled against you. The lawyer says appeal. Then the days start to disappear, and a late appeal can be dismissed even if you are right on the facts.
We read the Limitation Act on the Pakistan Code website on 14 October 2026. The table of deadlines in the file is hard to read, so we use only the entries we could read clearly and ask you to confirm the rest with a lawyer.
Thirty days to the District Judge, ninety days to the High Court
Article 152 of the First Schedule gives 30 days for a civil appeal to the Court of a District Judge. Article 156 gives 90 days for an appeal to a High Court. Both count from the date of the decree or order.
Which court hears your appeal depends on the court that decided your case and the value of the suit. That comes from other laws. Ask your lawyer which forum is right before you count the days.
Article 151 sets a shorter 20 days for an appeal from a decree or order of a High Court in the exercise of its original jurisdiction. That is a narrow case, but it shows why you must not guess.
| Appeal | Time limit | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| To a District Judge (Article 152) | 30 days | Date of decree or order appealed from |
| To a High Court (Article 156) | 90 days | Date of decree or order appealed from |
| From a High Court original-side decree (Article 151) | 20 days | Date of decree or order |
The time to get a certified copy is not counted
Section 12 says the day of the judgment is left out when counting the days for an appeal. So is the time needed to get a copy of the decree, from your application to the day the copy is ready.
So apply for the copy on the first day. Keep the receipt, because it proves when your copy time began. Read how to get a certified copy of a court order or judgment in Punjab.
- Ask the court copying office for a certified copy of the decree and of the judgment.
- Keep the application receipt and the date the office gives for delivery.
- Write down the last day to appeal, using the 30 or 90 day rule.
- Give the lawyer both copies and the date the same week.
If the last day falls on a day the court is closed, section 4 lets you file on the day it re-opens. Do not plan on that. Aim to file well before the end.
A late appeal needs a good reason
Section 3 says a late appeal must be dismissed even if the other side does not raise the point. Section 5 allows the court to admit a late appeal if you show sufficient cause for not filing in time.
The explanation to section 5 gives one example. You may have been misled by an order, practice or judgment of the High Court about how to count the period. Sickness or a wrong date from a clerk is something to explain, but the court decides if it is enough.
Do not depend on section 5. It is a favour, and the court may refuse it. File on time and keep it simple.
After you file, you can follow the hearing dates. Read how to check a court case status online in Pakistan.
Family cases and Supreme Court appeals have their own rules
This page covers ordinary civil decrees. A family court decree follows its own appeal route, and the Supreme Court has separate limits. Use the matching guide for those, and do not assume 30 or 90 days applies.
For family cases in Punjab, read how to appeal a family court decree in Punjab. For the top court, see the 60 and 30 day limits for Supreme Court appeals.
If you cannot pay for an appeal, ask about a free lawyer in Punjab. Be ready with your decree copy and your deadline.
Common questions
How long do I have to appeal a civil decree in Pakistan?
It is 30 days for an appeal to a District Judge and 90 days for an appeal to a High Court, from the date of the decree.
Is the time to get a copy counted?
No. Section 12 excludes the time needed to obtain a copy, from the day you apply to the day the copy is ready.
Can I file an appeal after the deadline?
Only if the court accepts that you had sufficient cause under section 5. It is not guaranteed.
What if the last day is a court holiday?
Section 4 lets you file on the day the court re-opens. Do not rely on it.
Which court should I appeal to?
That depends on the court that passed the decree and the value of the suit. Ask a lawyer to confirm it before you count the days.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Limitation Act, 1908 on the Pakistan Code. The table in the file is partly unclear, so we used only Articles 151, 152 and 156 and could not confirm which court hears which appeal. Confirm your deadline with a lawyer. This page explains the law and is not legal advice.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
