Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026

Introduction 

The Lok Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 without debate amid persistent Opposition protests, followed by the Rajya Sabha clearing it by voice vote the next day. The legislation establishes a National Tribunals Commission to oversee the appointment, performance, and functioning of chairpersons and members across various tribunals. 

Background 

• The Bill, introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, was passed by voice vote after Opposition members, who had given notices opposing its introduction, chose not to speak amid the din. 
• The Opposition protest centred on demands that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on the police crackdown on students during the July 20 protest in New Delhi against paper leaks. 
• The Bill was introduced and passed without debate amid sloganeering by Opposition members, who were protesting the alleged police crackdown on students following the July 20 demonstrations over the NEET paper leak. 
• The Bill seeks to repeal the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, which governed appointments and terms of service for various tribunals. 
• The Court had directed the Central Government to establish an independent National Tribunals Commission, possessing professional expertise and a transparent selection and oversight mechanism, for appointments to Tribunals. 
• The Supreme Court's intervention arose from Madras Bar Association v. Union of India, where certain provisions of the 2021 Act were struck down as contrary to the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence, and inconsistent with earlier judgments laying down standards for the appointment, tenure, and functioning of tribunal members. 

Bill Details 

Key Provisions of the Bill 

• Establishment and Composition of the National Tribunals Commission: The Commission will be headquartered in New Delhi. It will consist of a chairperson, who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Chief Justice of a High Court, two judicial members, who have been a Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court, and two technical members with at least 25 years of experience in public administration, finance, law, accountancy, banking, management, or technology. The chairperson and members will hold office for a term of five years, or until the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier, and appointments of the chairperson and judicial members must be made after consultation with the Chief Justice of India. 
• Functions of the Commission: The Commission's functions include conducting the selection process for filling vacancies in tribunals, reviewing the performance of tribunals, overseeing inquiries into complaints against the conduct of chairpersons or members, and developing and maintaining a National Tribunals Data Grid. 
• Search-cum-Selection Committee: The Commission will constitute a search-cum-selection committee to recommend appointments, headed by the chairperson of the Commission for appointment of a tribunal chairperson, or a judicial member of the Commission for appointment of a tribunal member. The committee will also include a technical member of the Commission, a government secretary nominated by the Centre, two expert members, and the Commission Secretary, with expert members and the Secretary having no vote and the committee chairperson holding a casting vote. For each vacancy, the committee will recommend one name along with an additional name on a waiting list, and the Central Government must make the appointment within three months of the recommendation. 
• Term, Reappointment, and Removal: Chairpersons and members of tribunals will hold office for five years or until they attain 70 years (chairpersons) or 67 years (members), whichever is earlier. Reappointment may be considered based on past performance, and, for members, after consultation with the tribunal's chairperson. Grounds for removal include insolvency, conviction involving moral turpitude, physical or mental incapacity, abuse of position, incompetence, inefficiency, or engaging in paid outside assignments. 
• No Change to Jurisdiction: 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. Section 18, read with the Second Schedule, amends the parent laws of the covered tribunals so that qualifications, appointments, tenure, and service conditions of chairpersons and members are governed by the common framework under the new Act, while appointments and proceedings under the 2021 Act are preserved. 
• Financial Memorandum: The Bill's Financial Memorandum estimates an annual cost of approximately ₹27.14 crore for establishing and running the Commission and its Secretariat, comprising ₹24.79 crore in recurring expenditure and ₹2.35 crore in non-recurring expenditure, with built-in year-on-year increases in subsequent years. 

Conclusion 

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 marks Parliament's response to the Supreme Court's directive in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India for an independent, professionally staffed mechanism to oversee tribunal appointments. By establishing the National Tribunals Commission with a defined composition, a structured search-cum-selection process, and fixed terms of office, the legislation seeks to insulate tribunal appointments from executive discretion and bring uniformity across 16 tribunals. While the government has emphasised that the Bill does not alter any tribunal's substantive jurisdiction, its passage without debate amid Opposition protests raises questions about legislative scrutiny — leaving the Commission's actual functioning, once operational, to be the real test of whether it achieves the independence and transparency the Court had envisaged.