Supreme Court Advocates for New Tribunal Benches to Address Case Backlog

The Supreme Court has called for establishing Armed Forces Tribunal benches in Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh to address the increasing backlog of defence-related cases. The current AFT in Chandigarh is overwhelmed, prompting the court to suggest new circuit benches for expedited case resolution.

The Supreme Court on Monday emphasized the urgent need to establish Armed Forces Tribunal benches in Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. This measure aims to combat the mounting backlog of defense-related cases currently overwhelming the AFT, Chandigarh.

Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh noted the necessity of circuit benches in regions like Jammu and Kashmir and Shimla to facilitate quicker case resolutions. The court refrained from solely blaming the Centre for the delay in filling AFT vacancies and urged Attorney General R Venkataramani to consider establishing these benches.

Justice Surya Kant highlighted the workload challenges in the tribunal appointment process, advocating for a mechanism to initiate vacancy fills six months in advance. The Centre was instructed to assess tribunal vacancies, develop systematic filling strategies, and provide updates within four weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)