In the way: On the Tribunal Reforms Bill 2026
The Tribunal Reforms Bill 2026 aims to restructure the administration of tribunals in India, following Supreme Court directives to ensure judicial independence. While the bill introduces positive changes like uniform service conditions, critics argue it still grants the executive too much control over appointments.
Why it matters
The balance of power between the executive and the judiciary in managing specialized tribunals is fundamental to the rule of law and the efficiency of the Indian justice system.
Tribunals have a raison d’être in the justice system: they allow specialists to settle technical disputes faster than the judiciary could. In S.P. Sampath Kumar (1987) and L. Chandra Kumar (1997), the Supreme Court said that tribunals’ decisions remain subject to review by High Courts because judicial review is part of the basic structure. Sensible though they were, the orders left a structural flaw standing. Tribunals have historically been administered by the same Ministries whose decisions the tribunal might have to review. In Rojer Mathew (2019), the Court recommended an independent, statutory National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to oversee the selection and administration of tribunals. However, Parliament used the Finance Act 2017 to give the executive more control over appointments and the Tribunals Reforms Ordinance 2021 to reinstate conditions the Court had rejected.
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