#Tribunal Jurisdiction

The Delhi High Court upheld the eviction provisions under the Senior Citizens Act, confirming that tribunals may direct a respondent to vacate premises to protect a senior citizen’s life and property. It clarified that such orders do not infringe the Domestic Violence Act’s shared household safeguard, impacting seniors facing abuse from co-habitants.

Even though the employer failed to obtain prior approval under Sec 33(2)(b) before dismissing the employee, the High Court ruled that the workman remains entitled to back wages and that the Labour Court retains jurisdiction to assess misconduct. This protects dismissed workers from losing monetary relief due to procedural lapses by the employer.

Bombay High Court holds that the Registrar of Trade Marks qualifies as a 'Court' under Section 24 CPC, enabling transfer of rectification proceedings to be consolidated with infringement suits. This ruling streamlines adjudication by preventing parallel litigation and reinforces the contextual interpretation of 'Court' under procedural laws, impacting trademark litigants and IP practitioners.

CAT Lucknow rules that tribunals, including the Central Administrative Tribunal, cannot condone delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act unless expressly empowered by statute or rules. The decision clarifies that the tribunal's procedural flexibility under Section 22 of the Administrative Tribunals Act does not extend to delay condonation, impacting review applicants across administrative law proceedings.

The Karnataka High Court ruled that an Industrial Tribunal lacks jurisdiction to modify a minor disciplinary punishment unless there is proof of perversity or victimization. The judgment reinforces managerial autonomy in service discipline, limiting tribunal interference to cases of proven injustice.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that when an arbitration award is remanded for fresh adjudication, the tribunal is bound by prior judicial findings on state-caused delay and cannot revisit or negate them. This reinforces the doctrine of judicial finality in construction arbitration, protecting contractors from arbitrary recalculations of delay liability even after remand.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that eviction orders under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, passed by a tribunal lacking the mandated three-member bench, are null and void. The court emphasized strict adherence to procedural composition, remanding the matter for fresh adjudication before a legally constituted authority.

The Calcutta High Court dismissed writ petitions challenging land reform orders, ruling that the West Bengal Land Reforms and Tenancy Tribunal Act, 1997, provides an effective statutory remedy, thereby ousting Single Bench jurisdiction under Article 226. This reinforces the principle that writ courts should not intervene when an alternative remedy is available, impacting land reform disputes in West Bengal.

The Madras High Court held that civil courts lack jurisdiction over trade union disputes under the Industrial Relations Code 2020, effective from 21.11.2025, even if new tribunals are not yet constituted. Pending suits must be transferred to existing Industrial Tribunals, and interim injunctions granted by civil courts are void, impacting all ongoing and future trade union litigation.

Madhya Pradesh High Court holds that the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 does not empower tribunals to evict tenants who are not children or relatives of the senior citizen.

Bombay High Court clarifies that Section 23 of the Senior Citizens Act applies only when the senior citizen transfers property subject to maintenance conditions, not when third parties hold title.

Supreme Court holds Wakf Tribunal can adjudicate disputes only over properties listed in official auqaf list or registered under Chapter V, not on mere user or unregistered claims.

Madhya Pradesh High Court upholds Motor Accident Claims Tribunal's power to apply 'pay and recover' even after amendments to Section 149 of the Motor Vehicles Act.