Facts of the Case
- A cheque was drawn and made payable to “R or order”, indicating that R’s endorsement is necessary for negotiation.
- The cheque was stolen before it reached R.
- The thief forged R’s signature and presented the cheque to the bank.
- The bank, unaware of the forgery, made the payment in due course.
- R, having neither received nor endorsed the cheque, seeks to recover the amount from the bank.
Issues in the Case
- Whether the bank was authorized to make payment on a forged endorsement.
- Whether the bank can be held liable despite making payment in due course.
- Whether R, as the rightful payee, retains the right to claim the amount from the bank.
- The effect of a forged endorsement on the title to a cheque.
Principles Associated with It
- Under the Negotiable Instruments Act, a cheque payable “to order” must be endorsed by the payee for a valid transfer of title.
- A forged endorsement is legally a nullity; it gives no title to the holder.
- A banker who pays a cheque bearing a forged endorsement, even in good faith and without negligence, does not make a valid payment and cannot debit the drawer’s account nor discharge the instrument.
- The concept of “payment in due course” under Section 10 of the Act does not protect payments made under a forged endorsement.
- Relevant case laws include:
- Canara Bank Ltd v Canara Sales Corporation – held that a forged signature does not operate to transfer any right or title.
- Bank of Bihar Ltd v Damodar Prasad – ruled that a banker paying on a forged endorsement is not protected and must bear the loss.
- Smith v Union Bank of London – reaffirmed that forged endorsements do not convey title.
Judgement
- The bank, by paying on the basis of a forged endorsement, did not obtain a valid discharge of its liability.
- R, the true payee, never endorsed the cheque and therefore never lost title to the amount.
- The payment made by the bank was unauthorized and invalid under law.
- The bank is liable to R for the amount of the cheque and must compensate the loss.
- The principle that a forged endorsement gives no title is decisive, making the bank’s payment wrongful despite acting in good faith.
