News Desk, AnyTV, New Delhi
Published by: Abhishek Dixit
Updated Thu, 24 Feb 2022 09:10 PM IST
Summary
Chief Justice Raman had earlier also criticized the government for passing the Tribunal Amendment Act. The amendment brought back the provisions set aside by this Court in the Madras Bar Association case.
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Chief Justice Raman had earlier also criticized the government for passing the Tribunal Amendment Act. The amendment brought back the provisions set aside by this Court in the Madras Bar Association case. With regard to the issue of appointments to the Tribunal, a bench headed by the Chief Justice said that the Attorney General has informed that almost all the vacancies in the Tribunals across the country have been filled.
The bench said that as per an email sent by Attorney General KK Venugopal, almost all the vacancies have been filled, barring a few tribunals including National Green Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal and CAT. The Chief Justice said appointments to the Armed Forces Tribunal and the Central Administrative Tribunal are still pending with the selection committee, which is headed by a Supreme Court judge.
The bench said this when senior advocate Arvind Datar referred to a matter related to vacancies in the tribunal and the Tribunal Amendment Act. Datar said that after the Tribunal Reform Act, lawyers below the age of 50 years are not eligible to become members even though the court had clearly held that such distinction cannot be made.
Also, the court had directed that the tenure of the members should be fixed at five years but the government has again reduced it to four years. He further said that as far as the selection committee is concerned, once the judges committee of the Supreme Court is decided, there is no question of saying anything to the government in those appointments.
The bench said it may have to constitute a five-judge bench to hear the matter. Datar, however, said a three-judge bench could also hear the matter. The Supreme Court will consider the matter on March 24.