Provisions of Paras. 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) shall be applicable with effect from the quarter/financial year ending on December 31, 2011.
Provisions of Paras. 1. and 2 of this Article shall apply accordingly to legal persons as well.
(1) When nationals of one Contracting State appear before the courts of the other Contracting State, they shall be entitled to exemption from payment of court fees and costs, as well as to free legal assistance during the procedure under the same conditions and in the same scope as its own nationals.
(2) The Party may file a petition in terms of paragraph 1 of this Article to the directly superior court of the other Contracting State or to a court of the Contracting State whose national s/he is, if s/he has in its territory permanent or temporary residence. The court of the Contracting State whose national is the party to shall deliver the petition to the court of appropriate jurisdiction of the other Contracting State in the manner provided in Article 4 of this Treaty.
(1) The certificate of financial standing on the basis of which the benefits referred to in Article 17 paragraph 1 of this Treaty are recognized, shall be issued by the competent authority of the Contracting State in whose territory the petitioner has permanent or temporary residence.
(2) If the petitioner has permanent or temporary residence in the territory of a third country, this certificate in the territory of a third country may be issued by the competent diplomatic-consular office of the Contracting State of which s/he is a national.
(3) The court which decides on the request for exercising the right to exemption from payment of the costs of court proceedings referred to in Article 17, paragraph 1 of this Treaty may, if necessary, seek additional information from the authorities of the Contracting State whose national is the petitioner.
