Now Reading: President assents to Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026
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President assents to Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026
President Droupadi Murmu has assented to the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026, which creates a National Tribunals Commission to oversee 16 tribunals. These include the Central Administrative Tribunal, National Green Tribunal, National Company…
The Story in Brief
President Droupadi Murmu has assented to the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026, which creates a National Tribunals Commission to oversee 16 tribunals. These include the Central Administrative Tribunal, National Green Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal and Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. The Commission will have a chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members, appointed by the Centre after consultation with the Chief Justice of India for judicial posts.
The Commission will manage selections, review tribunal performance, oversee complaints and maintain a National Tribunals Data Grid. Members will serve for five years or until 70. The Act repeals the 2021 law but protects certain existing appointments and selection processes. Legal commentator Arvind Datar says the five-year term could discourage experienced lawyers from joining and questions why some tribunals, including the NCLT and GST tribunals, are excluded.
The Indian Opinion
The new commission addresses a real administrative gap, but claims that it will automatically fix tribunals are premature. Arvind Datar’s criticism of the five-year term is substantial, especially when members may lose the right to practise before the tribunal after serving. At the same time, judicial oversight in selection and a shared data grid could improve accountability. The practical test is whether the rules attract experienced independent members and whether vacancies are filled within the Act’s three-month deadline.
Sources (2): barandbench.com, barandbench.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
