The Supreme Court on Monday took serious note of the mounting judicial and administrative vacancies within the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), seeking a formal response from the Central Government on a petition calling for a time-bound selection process to prevent the tribunal from becoming largely non-functional.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued the notice while hearing a plea filed by the Armed Forces Tribunal Bar Association (Regional Bench). Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the Court has requested the assistance of Attorney General R Venkataramani to address the crisis.
During the proceedings, the counsel representing the Bar Association highlighted a dire projection for the tribunal’s operations. The Court was informed that out of the 11 sanctioned benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal across the country, only three are expected to remain functional by the end of the current year if the existing vacancies are not filled immediately.
The petitioner argued that such a significant reduction in active benches would severely hamper the delivery of justice for military personnel and veterans, effectively stalling the adjudication of service matters and pension disputes.
The petition specifically seeks a direction from the apex court to the Centre to complete the selection process in a time-bound manner. This demand is rooted in the necessity to comply with Section 5 of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007, which dictates the composition and structure of the tribunal and its various benches.
Beyond new appointments, the plea also requested an interim measure to maintain the tribunal’s current strength. It sought a direction that existing judicial and administrative members be allowed to continue in office—subject to their individual consent—until formal appointments are finalized to fill their positions.
The bench has directed the petitioner’s counsel to serve a copy of the petition to the Office of the Attorney General to facilitate a swift response from the government.
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing in two weeks, at which point the Centre is expected to provide clarity on its timeline for filling the vacant posts and its stance on the extension of current members’ tenures.
