Section 23 of Court Fees Act 1870 - Number of Peons in Revenue Courts
Updated: 22 September 2026
Section 23 of the Court Fees Act, 1870 deals with the administrative arrangement for the number of peons required for service and execution of processes issued by Revenue Courts. The provision operates subject to rules framed by the Chief Controlling Revenue Authority and approved by the State Government.
Text of Section 23 - Number of peons in Revenue Courts
Subject to rules to be framed by the Chief Controlling Revenue-authority and approved by the State Government, every officer performing the functions of a Collector of a district shall fix, and may from time to time alter, the number of peons necessary to be employed for the service and execution of processes issued out of his Court or the Courts subordinate to him.
Legislative note: the words "and the Governor General of India in Council" were omitted by Act 38 of 1920, section 2 and the First Schedule.
Meaning and scope of Section 23
The section concerns staffing for the service and execution of Revenue Court processes. In this context, a "process" is a formal court or revenue-court instrument requiring service or execution, while "peons" refers to the personnel employed for carrying out such process-related functions under the applicable administrative framework.
The power under Section 23 is not unrestricted. It is expressly made subject to rules framed by the Chief Controlling Revenue Authority and approved by the State Government. Within that framework, an officer performing the functions of a district Collector determines, and may later revise, the number of peons required for processes issued by that officer's Court or by subordinate Courts.
Who fixes the number of peons?
The statutory responsibility is placed on every officer performing the functions of a Collector of a district. That officer may fix the required number and may alter it from time to time according to the requirements of service and execution of processes, subject to the governing rules and State Government approval contemplated by the section.
Key elements of Section 23
- The provision applies to Revenue Courts within the field in which Section 23 remains applicable.
- The Chief Controlling Revenue Authority frames the relevant rules.
- The rules require approval of the State Government.
- The district Collector, or an officer performing the functions of a Collector, fixes the necessary number of peons.
- The number may be altered from time to time.
- The staffing is for service and execution of processes issued by the Collector's Court or Courts subordinate to it.
State amendments and local applicability
Important: Court-fee legislation has significant State amendments and adaptations. The central text of Section 23 continues to appear in the official central Act, but its operation is not uniform throughout India. For example, published State versions show repeal of Section 23 in Uttar Pradesh and repeal through the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 in the relevant Punjab/Haryana framework. Always verify the Court Fees law, State amendment and rules applicable in the concerned State or Union Territory before relying on this provision.
Related provisions
Section 21 - Tables of process-fees deals with display of tables showing process fees. Section 22 - Number of peons in District and subordinate Courts contains the corresponding provision for District and subordinate Courts. The provisions following Section 23 move into the statutory scheme concerning levy and collection of court fees.
Official legal source
For the central enactment and its official text, see the Court Fees Act, 1870 on India Code. State amendments, notifications and local rules should also be checked separately for the jurisdiction concerned.