BharatNotes Tribunal
noun (also attributive/adjective, as in "tribunal proceedings")Usage in a UPSC answer
When ordinary courts are overburdened, specialised tribunals such as the National Green Tribunal can deliver swifter, subject-expert adjudication, provided their independence from the executive is scrupulously safeguarded against dilution.
Synonyms
Word Family
tribunals (n pl), tribune (n), tribunate (n), tribunician (adj), tribunitial (adj)
Root
Latin tribūnal = raised platform for magistrates; tribūnus = head of a tribe; tribus = tribe
Etymology
From Old French tribunal, from Latin tribūnal ("raised platform for magistrates"), from tribūnus ("head of a tribe"), from tribus ("tribe").
Memory Hook
A TRIBUNAL is where a "TRIBUNE" (Roman magistrate) once sat on a raised platform to judge a TRIBE's disputes - tribe + the magistrate's bench = a court of judgement.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A specialised adjudicatory body created by statute. Articles 323A and 323B, inserted by the 42nd Amendment, provide for administrative tribunals and for tribunals in other specified matters respectively. The decisive judgment is L. Chandra Kumar in 1997, which held that judicial review by the High Courts under Articles 226 and 227 forms part of the basic structure and cannot be taken away, so tribunals may supplement High Courts but never substitute for them, and every tribunal decision remains open to scrutiny before a Division Bench of the High Court within whose jurisdiction it falls. The recurring concern is independence, since a tribunal is frequently administered by the very ministry whose decisions it reviews, and appointment, tenure and service conditions have been litigated repeatedly. The advantages are speed, subject expertise and procedural flexibility; the objections are executive influence over appointments, prolonged vacancies that defeat the purpose, and fragmentation of jurisdiction.
Don’t Confuse It With
A tribunal is created by statute to decide a defined class of disputes, whereas a court exercises general jurisdiction within the judicial hierarchy. Quasi-judicial describes a body bound to decide fairly after hearing without being a court, which most tribunals are. Article 323A provides for administrative tribunals and may be invoked only by Parliament, while Article 323B covers other specified matters and is open to State legislatures as well. An appellate tribunal hears appeals from a regulator's orders, a function distinct from original adjudication.
Hindi Meaning
अधिकरण (adhikaran) or न्यायाधिकरण.
Common Questions
- Can a tribunal replace a High Court?
- No. L. Chandra Kumar held that judicial review under Articles 226 and 227 is part of the basic structure, so tribunals supplement High Courts and their decisions remain subject to High Court scrutiny.
- What is the difference between a court and a tribunal?
- A court exercises general jurisdiction as part of the judicial hierarchy, while a tribunal is created by statute to adjudicate a specific class of disputes, usually with relaxed procedure and subject expertise.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2018 — Environmental Laws
- Mains 2019 · GS2 · 10 marks — Governance
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Tribunal” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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