Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Reply on Armed Forces Tribunal Vacancies

Overview

• The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, sought the Centre’s response to a plea on vacancies in the Armed Forces Tribunal, which hears service and discipline cases for military personnel.
• The bench asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to assist and told the petitioner to deliver the plea to his office.
• The court set the case for a hearing in two weeks.
• The petition from the AFT Bar Association seeks time-bound appointments under Section 5 of the 2007 Act and asks that current members stay on until new ones are named.
• The petitioner warned that only three of 11 benches may be working by year-end if posts stay empty, which would slow or block relief for serving and retired soldiers.