Supreme Court Extends Tribunal Members’ Tenure
The Supreme Court has approved the Centre’s proposal to extend the tenure of chairpersons and members of various tribunals who are due to retire soon, giving temporary relief to a system facing the risk of fresh vacancies and disruption in functioning.
Supreme Court Approves Tribunal Term Extension
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant allowed the government to continue the services of tribunal members who are set to retire in the coming months. The extension has been granted till September 8, 2026, as an interim measure. The court accepted the proposal after the Centre said it was working on a fresh law to address the functioning, appointments and service conditions of tribunal members.
Centre Plans New Tribunal Bill
The Attorney General informed the court that the government was preparing a new tribunal bill and expected to move it in Parliament either during the Budget Session or the Monsoon Session. The Centre said the temporary extension was necessary to prevent disruption in the work of tribunals while the new legal framework is being finalised. Around 21 members are understood to be affected by the immediate retirement cycle, which had raised concerns over several benches becoming ineffective or non-functional.
Tribunal Functioning Concerns Remain
During the hearing, the Supreme Court also raised broader concerns over the accountability and functioning of tribunals. The Bench underlined the need for a more stable and legally sound structure, particularly after earlier judicial scrutiny of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021. The court is understood to have stressed that important tribunals cannot be allowed to slip into a functional crisis because of delays in appointments or legal uncertainty over tenure rules.
The order is expected to provide short-term continuity across multiple tribunals while the government works on a replacement law that complies with earlier court rulings.
