Armed Forces Tribunal to start functioning from July

According to media reports the much-awaited Armed Forces Tribunal(AFT)is expected to
start functioning from July 2009. The report said the appointment of 15 retired senior officers of armed forces as administrative members is over. And the appointment of judicial members, to be selected from retired high court judges, is underway.

The enactment for the creation of the AFT was passed in parliament on December 7, 2007. Former Supreme Court judge, Justice AK Mathur, will be heading the tribunal.The AFT's principal Bench would be based at New Delhi

The AFT will deal with about 12,000 cases related to armed forces pending in various courts now relating to courts martial proceedings, and matters such as promotions, postings, pay and allowances, etc.,after they are transferred to it. This measure it is hoped will ensure speedier disposal of cases.

In addition will be eight regional Benches, Chandigarh, Chennai,Guwahati, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai. Each Bench will have judicial and well as administrative members.

The media reported the names of the administrative members the Chandigarh Bench as:Lt Gen HS Panag, former GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt Gen AS Bahia, former Quarter Master General and Lt Gen NS Brar, former GOC 10 Corps. This bench will deal with cases from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman, Lt Gen ML Naidu, both former Vice-Chief of the Anny Staff, Lt Gen Thomas Mathew, former Adjutant General, Lt Gen RK Chhabra, former Chief of Staff, Southern Command and Rear Admiral R Contractor are some of the other names of administrative memebrs.

All administrative members will have the status of a judge of the high court with corresponding salary and service conditions.