A new hybrid surrogate ratio approach has been employed to determine neutron-induced fission cross sections of ²³³Pa in the energy range of 11.5 to 16.5 MeV for the first time. The fission probability of ²³⁴Pa and ²³⁶U compound nuclei produced in ²³²Th(6Li, α)²³⁴Pa and ²³²Th(⁶Li, d)²³⁶U transfer reaction channels has been measured at E_lab = 38.0 MeV in the excitation energy range of 17.0 to 22.0 MeV within the framework of the absolute surrogate method. The ²³³Pa(n, f ) cross sections are then deduced from the measured fission decay probability ratios of ²³⁴Pa and ²³⁶U compound nuclei using the surrogate ratio method. The ²³³Pa(n,f) cross section data from the present experiment along with the data from the literature, covering the neutron energy range of 1.0 to 16.5 MeV have been compared with the predictions of statistical model code EMPIRE-2.19. While the present data are consistent with the model predictions, there is a discrepancy between the earlier experimental data and EMPIRE-2.19 predictions in the neutron energy range of 7.0 to 10.0 MeV.