Lok Sabha Passes Bill for National Tribunals Commission to Oversee 16 Tribunals

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, which proposes to establish a National Tribunals Commission to oversee appointments, performance and complaints concerning members of 16 tribunals.The Bill was introduced and passed without debate amid sloganeering by Opposition members. Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the legislation would not alter the jurisdiction conferred on tribunals by their respective parent statutes.The Bill seeks to replace the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, certain provisions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India for violating the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence.The proposed Commission will conduct the selection process for tribunal chairpersons and members, review the functioning of tribunals, oversee inquiries into complaints and maintain a National Tribunals Data Grid containing case-related information.It will cover bodies including the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), National Green Tribunal (NGT), Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT).The Commission will be headquartered in New Delhi and comprise a chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members. A former