Cause Title Generator
Enter the parties and proceeding type — the correctly formatted cause title is generated live.
Cause title
Petitioner v. Defendant
Convention: CPC 1908 — plaintiff v. defendant
Informational aid, not legal advice — verify against the current Act and your jurisdiction's rules before relying.
Cause title conventions in Indian courts
A cause title (also called a case title or heading) is the formal identifier of a case on every pleading, order, and judgment. Indian courts follow proceeding-specific conventions that differ from each other and from common law jurisdictions.
Civil suits (CPC)
Under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the parties to a suit are the plaintiff (the party who files) and the defendant (the party against whom the suit is filed). The cause title reads: Plaintiff Name v. Defendant Name. If there are multiple parties on either side, the primary party is named and the rest noted as “& Anr.” or “& Ors.”
Writ petitions (Art. 226 / Art. 32)
Writ petitions invoke the constitutional jurisdiction of the High Court (Article 226) or the Supreme Court (Article 32). Parties are labelled Petitioner and Respondent. Where the respondent is the State or Union, the full name is used: “Union of India”, “State of Maharashtra”, etc.
Appeals
In first appeals under CPC Order 41 and second appeals, the parties become Appellant and Respondent. The original designation (plaintiff/defendant) is sometimes added in parentheses for clarity: “Ramesh Kumar (original Plaintiff/Appellant) v. Suresh Singh (original Defendant/Respondent)”.
Special Leave Petitions
SLPs under Article 136 of the Constitution are filed in the Supreme Court. The format is the standard “v.” format; the case number distinguishes it as an SLP. The Supreme Court Rules, 2013 govern the form of petitions.
Arbitration matters
Petitions under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — for appointment of arbitrator (s. 11), challenging awards (s. 34), or enforcement (s. 36) — typically carry the heading: In the matter of Arbitration between [Claimant] and [Respondent] and then the relief-specific title.
Company petitions (NCLT)
Petitions under the Companies Act, 2013 filed before the NCLT typically carry: In the matter of [Company Name], followed by the nature of the petition (oppression and mismanagement, winding up, etc.).
Frequently asked questions
What is a cause title?
A cause title is the formal heading on every court pleading that identifies: the court, the case number, and the parties with their roles (petitioner/plaintiff/appellant vs. respondent/defendant). The format varies by proceeding type and court.
When do I use 'Anr.' vs 'Ors.'?
'Anr.' (short for 'Another') is used when there is one additional party on a side. 'Ors.' (short for 'Others') is used when there are two or more additional parties. For example: 'Ramesh Kumar & Anr. v. State of Delhi & Ors.'.
How is a writ petition cause title different from a civil suit?
In writ petitions under Article 226 (High Court) or Article 32 (Supreme Court), the parties are labelled 'Petitioner' and 'Respondent'. Civil suits use 'Plaintiff' and 'Defendant'. Appeals use 'Appellant' and 'Respondent'. The tool generates the appropriate label for each proceeding type.
What format does the Supreme Court use for SLPs?
Special Leave Petitions follow the format: '[Petitioner Name] v. [Respondent Name]', preceded by the case number 'SLP (Civil/Crl.) No. X of YYYY'. The cause title itself is the same 'v.' format; the proceeding type distinguishes it.
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