What is the difference between a petitioner and a plaintiff?

The person, corporation or other legal entity that initiates a lawsuit is called the plaintiff.

A person who brings a legal action by means of a petition in a court, its  formal written application requesting a court for a specific judicial action.The person who presents the petition is the petititoner.

In addition to Archana, I am of the view that Petitioner refers to aggrieved person who moved the High Court as posted by Archana, but aggrieved person may not necessarily be the person whose interest is invaded but having Locus satandi to initiate legal action against another person. Plaintiff is the person presnting plaint to get a relief from the Court.

Except the original suit in other civil proceedings a person who files them will be known as petitioner/petitioners.

A litigant who approaches the civil court or invokes the original jurisdiction through original suit is known as  plaintiff and a person who moves petition including interlocutory is known as petitioner.     

Britishers left but they left their confusing Legal language behind :) There is no practical difference. Most of the terms that you have are relics of the past. Instead of using words from regular usage that a common man can understand, we pride ourselves in using these arcane vocabulary. Legally, there is no significance. You can always use the commonly understood english words.

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well said Mr.aravind

Plaint and Plantiff are terms used in the Code of Civil Procedure . It means who presents Plaint before a civil court is a plaintiff . Petitioner is a general term used for every person whether human being or legal person who present a petition for obtaining relief. Thus petitionar is a general term and use of term Plaintiff is restricted to civil suits .

i agree with  Retd.Addl.Dist .judge. Mr. NARESH CHANDRA DUBEY

The plaint/complaint is always filed in the court of first instance  i.e. the court having 1st jurisdictin. Petition on the other hand is filed under special circumstances i.e. for issuing writs or setting aside the arbitral award etc

Both the terms are used in court of civil procedures:

Plaintiff: Any person who files a plaint in the court for a redressal primarily beacuse of breach of contract.

Petitioner: Any person who files a writ petition in the court, example, violation of fundamental rights etc.

Sir,

A plaintif is one who submit the plaint in the civil court.

A petioner is one who represents his case through a lawyer to seek the justice wrf to statue.

A plaint can't be a petioner.

sudhakar.RVS

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