Now Reading: SAT backlog hits six-year high as old cases pile up
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SAT backlog hits six-year high as old cases pile up
Cases pending before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) rose to 1,066 in fiscal year 2026, an 11 per cent increase from a year earlier and a 122.5 per cent jump from 479…
The Story in Brief
Cases pending before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) rose to 1,066 in fiscal year 2026, an 11 per cent increase from a year earlier and a 122.5 per cent jump from 479 cases in FY20, according to Sebi annual reports. Fresh appeals actually fell to 429 in FY26 from 533 the previous year.
Disposals have slowed sharply: only 135 appeals were dismissed in FY26, less than half the number in FY25. Lawyers attribute the growing backlog to a persistent shortage of judicial and technical members, which limits the number of benches that can sit. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had flagged the need for more benches in 2024.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative blames Sebi for aggressive enforcement flooding the tribunal. The truth is simpler: fresh filings are actually dropping, but disposals have collapsed because SAT benches are chronically understaffed. A tribunal that cannot clear old cases punishes everyone, companies face years of uncertainty, and individuals accused of insider trading may lose jobs before their name is cleared. The question isn't whether Sebi files too many cases; it is how many vacancies will be filled in the next six months.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
