Supreme Court approves Centre's proposal extending term of tribunal members

Supreme Court extends tenure of tribunal members until September as government plans new bill for their appointments and accountability.

The Supreme Court on Monday approved a proposal of the Centre extending the term of chairpersons and members of various tribunals in the country and are due to retire soon, till September 8.

A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi approved the proposal after Attorney General R Venkataramani said that the Union government was mulling bringing in a new tribunal bill related to their functioning and appointments of their members either in the ongoing Budget session or the Monsoon session of Parliament.

He submitted that currently, deliberations are going on at various levels of the government. To avoid any confusion or problem in the functioning of tribunals, it has been decided to give an extension of tenure to all members who are set to retire in the interregnum till September 8 of this year.

"The Government is working on a proposal. A bill is being contemplated. We don't want any interruption in the meantime.

"Everybody who was appointed under the Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021 will continue. By next September, either this Budget session or the Monsoon session, a new law is likely to be enacted," the AG said, adding that about 21 members are due to retire in the meantime.

In November 2025, the top court had struck down the provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 on appointment and tenure of tribunal members, for being violative of its earlier judgments on the issue.