"It is often said that the decision of the Supreme Court in L. Chandra Kumar Vs. Union of India (1997) has defeated the very raison d'etre of establishing administrative tribunals in India." Discuss.
Administrative tribunals were created to provide speedy, specialized adjudication and to reduce the heavy caseload of High Courts. Their purpose was to function as alternative forums delivering technical justice with efficiency. However, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) reshaped this framework. The Court held that judicial review of tribunal decisions by the High Courts and the Supreme Court is part of the Constitution’s basic structure and cannot be excluded. As a result, a two-tier review process was established: decisions of tribunals are first challenged before a Division Bench of the concerned High Court, with a further appeal possible before the Supreme Court.
While the judgment reaffirmed the supremacy of judicial review, it also drew criticism for undermining the intended utility of tribunals. By making them subject to High Court scrutiny, the decision effectively transformed tribunals into preliminary forums, reintroducing delays and costs.
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