The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, which proposes to establish a National Tribunals Commission to oversee appointments, performance and complaints concerning members of 16 tribunals.
The Bill was introduced and passed without debate amid sloganeering by Opposition members. Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the legislation would not alter the jurisdiction conferred on tribunals by their respective parent statutes.
The Bill seeks to replace the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, certain provisions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India for violating the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence.
The proposed Commission will conduct the selection process for tribunal chairpersons and members, review the functioning of tribunals, oversee inquiries into complaints and maintain a National Tribunals Data Grid containing case-related information.
It will cover bodies including the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), National Green Tribunal (NGT), Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT).
The Commission will be headquartered in New Delhi and comprise a chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members. A former Supreme Court judge or former Chief Justice of a High Court will be eligible to head the Commission. Its judicial members must be former Chief Justices or judges of High Courts.
Technical members must have at least 25 years’ experience in fields such as public administration, finance, law, accountancy, banking, management or technology.
The Central government will appoint the Commission’s Chairperson and members. However, it will be required to consult the Chief Justice of India before appointing the chairperson and judicial members. The Chairperson and members will hold office for 5 years or until they attain the age of 70 and 67 respectively, whichever is earlier.
For appointments to tribunals, the Commission will constitute search-cum-selection committees. The committees will include judicial and technical members of the Commission, a retired High Court judge or Chief Justice, a Union government secretary and two subject experts. The subject experts and member secretary will not have voting rights.
The selection committee will recommend one candidate for every vacancy and place one additional name on a waiting list. The Central government will be required to process the recommendation and make the appointment within 3 months.
The Commission will also inquire into allegations against tribunal members involving abuse of office, incompetence, inefficiency, conflict of interest or taking up paid assignments during their tenure. The ministry or department administering the tribunal will conduct a preliminary inquiry before referring the complaint to the Commission.
The Bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons says the Commission is being established in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions for an independent body with professional expertise and transparent mechanisms for selecting and overseeing tribunal members.
The proposed Commission is estimated to entail an annual expenditure of ₹27.14 crore, including recurring expenditure of ₹24.79 crore and non-recurring expenditure of ₹2.35 crore.
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