Khergamvala on the Negotiable Instruments Act, 21st Edition - LexisNexis, 2013, Revised by B. M. Prasad, Manish Mohan

An enactment that is almost intact for more than a century and a book on the same having about hundred years antiquity is the subject matter of review. Twenty First edition of the same in this twenty first century about the nineteenth century enactment is evidencing the acceptance of the original work over the years.

The book, brought out by LexisNexis comes in paperback format and is running to more than seven hundred pages. Neatly typeset and laid out the book is comfortable to read and easy to handle and is economically priced at slightly less than rupees eight hundred. While glancing through the contents of the same it can be found that the same is divided into three parts and put into eighteen chapters. A section for Appendix is also present wherein in six appendices has been provided. With a neat table of cases and a nominal subject index, for the subject, the book is lock, stock and barrel.

Part I, titled General, is running to sixteen chapters and Part II is titled Penalties for Dishonour of Cheque and is having a single chapter, whereas titling of Part III is Summary Procedure on Negotiable Instruments and the same is again having only one Chapter. All the Parts are true to their titles and is coherently dealing the subject. The Appendices are having extracts from other relevant enactments that are the Limitation Act, 1963, Bills of Exchange Act, 1882, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Appendix V is useful from practice perspective since the same is having templates. Appendix VI is unique in as much as the same is a a solid suggestion of the senior reviewing author with respect to formats of forms that may be used instead of the present followed one in filing of complaint, summons to be issued and even certificate to be prepared by Bank.

A topic wise discussion in tune with the section wise approach of the Act is the method followed in the book. Extraction of the section followed by commentary on the same together with relevant case laws and extracts from the important case laws is the general scheme of the book. The case law inclusion and discussion at some points is becoming superfluous affecting the continuity of the topic. Nevertheless this method may be as a result of the endeavor to satisfy the requirements of both academia and profession. Going by the case laws it seemed that earlier case laws are properly jelled with the subject flow. Comparatively the newer case laws seemed lesser in number, may be the authors have purposefully reduced the case laws that are not laying down anything new. The continuity of the topic numbering cutting across the chapters and parts seemed very comfortable. The book is not disturbing the legacy of the work and has not followed the new trend of filling the content with appendices. The provided appendices has been only the essentials and in that also the contribution of the authors is very evident as mentioned earlier. Definitely the book is a must for academics, professionals as well as commercial bodies.