Tribunal reforms bill gets nod, paves way for national body

The Cabinet of India approved the Tribunals Reforms Bill on Thursday, which will pave the way for the establishment of a National Tribunal Commission (NTC). This independent body will be responsible for overseeing the appointments and functioning of around 16 tribunals, as well as addressing their administrative and infrastructural requirements. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, L Murugan, informed the Rajya Sabha that the bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

The proposed NTC will be headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge for a term of five years or until they reach the age of 70, whichever comes first. This decision comes in response to a series of directives from the Supreme Court, which had ordered the creation of the NTC in May 2018, reiterated in 2020, and emphasized in November last year.

The court expressed its concern over the functioning of tribunals, stating that they have become a financial burden on the judiciary and a source of concern for the government.

Chief Justice Surya Kant highlighted the issue, saying, "Tribunals were created by you (government). So it is your headache and a liability for us. Because now the kind of orders we are seeing, barring a few tribunals, these tribunals have become a no man's land. They are not accountable to anyone." The government has proposed the NTC at the instance of the Supreme Court, which stressed its constitutional obligation to establish the commission and gave it four months to do so.