Essentially, a tribunal is a special body established by the legislature for the resolution of disputes in certain limited areas such as taxes, company law, consumer protection, the environment, telecom, banking, etc. The aim is to relieve regular courts of their burden by providing far quicker, cheaper, and specialised justice.
And due to the general nature of matters, courts strictly apply their procedures against any flexibility; hence, they focus on specialising in a particular domain. Technical experts could assist the judges in hearing matters. The majority of tribunals offer direct access to most people without having to formally approach any court first. The appeals from the tribunals will largely lie in High Courts or directly at the Supreme Court.
State-wise Tribunal Presence
- Consumer Commissions: Available in each state and UT (District, State & National levels).
- Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT): Benches spread across major states, e.g., Hyderabad for Andhra Pradesh & Telangana; Indore and Jabalpur for Madhya Pradesh.
- National Green Tribunal (NGT): 5 benches (Greater Delhi, Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai). Not in every state.
- State Administrative Tribunals (SATs): Existence in some states, such as West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, etc., to deal with service disputes of state employees.
- Specialised Tribunals (like DRAT, Armed Forces Tribunal, Telecom TDSAT, Securities SAT, NCLAT): Mainly in metro/state capitals.
Court vs Tribunal: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Court (HC, Civil/Criminal) | Tribunal (Consumer, ITAT, NCLAT, NGT, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Constitution / general laws | Created by special Acts |
| Jurisdiction | Broad (civil, criminal, constitutional) | Narrow, subject-specific |
| Procedure | Strict CPC/CrPC | Flexible, simpler |
| Timeline | Often years | Target = 3–6 months, usually faster |
| Cost | Higher, formal | Lower, more accessible |
| Members | Judges only | Judges + domain experts |
| Access | Open for all disputes | Direct only in specific matters |
| Appeals | Next higher court (HC/SC) | Appeals go to HC or SC as per law |
| Example cases | Murder, property, writs, contracts | Consumer complaints, tax, insolvency, environment |
Composition in Courts and Tribunals
| Body | Composition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| District & Sessions Court | 1 Judge per case | Civil Judge, Sessions Judge |
| High Court | 1 Judge (single bench) or 2 Judges (division bench) | Appeals, writs |
| Supreme Court | 2 Judges (division bench), 3 Judges (larger bench), and a Constitution Bench = 5+ Judges | Appeals, constitutional matters |
| Consumer Commission (District) | 1 President (judicial) + 2 Members | Consumer complaints |
| Consumer Commission (State/National) | 1 President (judge of HC/SC) + minimum 2 Members | High-value consumer disputes |
| Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) | 2 Members (1 Judicial + 1 Accountant/Technical) | Tax appeals |
| National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) | 1 Judicial Member + 1 Technical Member | Company/insolvency matters |
| National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) | At least 3 Members (mix of Judicial + Technical) | Appeals from NCLT, CCI |
| National Green Tribunal (NGT) | At least 1 Judicial + 1 Expert Member (often 2–4 in bench) | Environment disputes |
| Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) | Judicial Member + Administrative/Technical Member | Service disputes of govt employees |
Common Tribunal Case Types
- Tax: Income tax, GST, customs (ITAT, CESTAT)
- Consumer: Defective goods, services, fraud by builders, airline disputes.
- Business/Banking: Insolvency, mergers, shareholder issues (NCLT/NCLAT), and loan recoveries (DRT/DRAT).
- Service: Transfer of government employees, pension (CAT, SATs).
- Environment: Pollution, mining, waste management (NGT).
- Regulatory: Telecom (TDSAT), securities (SAT), and electricity (APTEL).
FAQs on Appellate Tribunals
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Q1. What is an appellate tribunal?
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A legal body to hear appeals against decisions of lower authorities/tribunals in specific subjects.
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Q2. How is it different from a court?
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Courts are general and constitutional; tribunals are specialised and statutory.
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Q3. Who creates tribunals?
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Parliament or state legislatures through special laws.
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Q4. Can I go directly to a tribunal?
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Yes. For tax, consumer, service, company law, or environmental disputes.
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Q5. Do all states have tribunals?
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Consumer Commissions exist everywhere. Others, like ITAT, NGT, DRAT, and NCLT have benches only in select states.
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Q6. Which tribunal is in every state?
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Consumer Commissions (District + State).
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Q7. Which tribunals are central with limited benches?
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NGT, NCLAT, SAT, Armed Forces Tribunal, TDSAT.
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Q8. Do tribunals work online?
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Yes. Many allow e-filing and video hearings (NCLT, NGT, Consumer Commissions, ITAT).
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Q9. How fast are tribunals?
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Target 3–6 months by law. Reality: months to a few years.
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Q10. What cases go to ITAT?
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Income tax disputes after Commissioner’s appeal.
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Q11. What cases go to NCLAT?
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Company disputes, insolvency appeals, and orders from NCLT, CCI, and NFRA.
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Q12. What cases go to NGT?
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Pollution, mining, deforestation, waste disposal, clearance violations.
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Q13. What cases go to the Consumer Commission?
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Faulty goods, poor service, builder fraud, e-commerce issues.
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Q14. What cases go to DRAT?
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Bank/financial loan recovery disputes above ₹20 lakh.
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Q15. What cases go to CATs or SATs?
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Service matters of govt employees (transfers, promotions, pensions).
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Q16. Can courts also hear the same matters?
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Yes, but tribunals are faster. Courts follow stricter procedures and take longer.
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Q17. Are tribunal decisions final?
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No. Appeals lie to High Courts or the Supreme Court.
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Q18. Do tribunals have judges?
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Yes, plus technical experts in specialised fields.
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Q19. Are fees lower in tribunals?
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Yes. Filing fees are usually smaller than court fees.
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Q20. Why were tribunals created?
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To deliver specialised, faster, and cheaper justice and reduce court backlog.
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