The Tribunals Reforms Bill has been passed by Parliament and will come into force on a day to be decided by the government. According to reports from Business Standard, the legislation provides for a National Tribunals Data Grid as part of comprehensive reforms to bring uniformity in appointments to various tribunal panels.
The bill defines the grid as a portal containing the repository of all case-related information pertaining to tribunals covered by its First Schedule. As reported by Business Standard, the First Schedule names 16 tribunals and appellate tribunals, with the proposed grid intended as a centralised information repository of cases before these bodies.
According to estimates based on parliamentary replies, more than 5.24 lakh cases are currently pending before various tribunals. According to reports from Business Standard, these quasi-judicial bodies were originally set up to provide swift justice and reduce the burden on the judiciary, but pendency before these bodies has increased significantly over the decades.
The proposed National Tribunals Data Grid will operate on similar lines to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), which is a comprehensive, near-real-time online database tracking orders, judgments, and case details across all tiers of the Indian judiciary. As reported by Business Standard, the NJDG is managed by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.
