Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tribunals Reforms Bill
Mains level: Not Much
The Lok Sabha has hastily passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021 without any debate.
Highlights of the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021
The Bill seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate bodies and transfer their functions (such as adjudication of appeals) to other existing judicial bodies:
Transfer of functions of key appellate bodies as proposed under the Bill: |
||
|
Acts |
Appellate Body |
Proposed Entity |
| The Cinematograph Act, 1952 | Appellate Tribunal | High Court |
| The Trade Marks Act, 1999 | Appellate Board | High Court |
| The Copyright Act, 1957 | Appellate Board | Commercial Court or the Commercial Division of a High Court* |
| The Customs Act, 1962 | Authority for Advance Rulings | High Court |
| The Patents Act, 1970 | Appellate Board | High Court |
| The Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 | Airport Appellate Tribunal |
|
| The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002 | Airport Appellate Tribunal | Civil Court# |
| The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 | Appellate Board | High Court |
Amendments to the Finance Act, 2017:
- The Finance Act, 2017 merged tribunals based on domain.
- It also empowered the central government to notify rules on: (i) composition of search-cum-selection committees, (ii) qualifications of tribunal members, and (iii) their terms and conditions of service (such as their removal and salaries).
- The Bill removes these provisions from the Finance Act, 2017.
- Provisions on the composition of selection committees and term of office have been included in the Bill. Qualification of members and other terms and conditions of service will be notified by the central government.
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