SC strikes down provisions of tribunal reforms law on tenure, appointment, service conditions

VERDICT COVERS AMENDMENTS ACROSS MORE THAN A DOZEN CENTRAL STATUTES

- MPOST BUREAU

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Union government to set up a national tribunals commission within four months while striking down several provisions of the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Act, 2021. The court said the invalidated provisions affected appointment procedures, service conditions and institutional independence of tribunal members and presiding officers.

A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran allowed the batch of petitions challenging Sections 3 to 7 and 33 of the 2021 law, as well as amendments made to more than a dozen central statutes. The bench noted that the Act conferred excessive control on the executive and altered key safeguards earlier recognised by the court.