The Supreme Court in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) held that judicial review is a basic feature of the Constitution, but it also emphasized that judicial review can be exercised by alternative mechanisms, provided those mechanisms are effective and constitute a real substitute for the High Courts.
Section 14 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 exempts members of the armed forces (naval, military, or air) from the jurisdiction of the tribunals established under the Act. This ensures that personnel from the armed forces are not subject to the tribunals meant for civilian administrative matters.
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) was the first tribunal established in India, in 1941. It is a specialized body that deals with appeals against the decisions of tax authorities, marking the beginning of tribunalization in India.
Article 323-A of the Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of administrative tribunals to handle disputes related to public service matters. In contrast, Article 323-B allows the establishment of tribunals for a broader range of subjects, including taxation, land reforms, and other issues specified by Parliament.
The National Green Tribunal Act was passed in 2010 to provide for the establishment of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.