NCLT BAR ASSOCIATION’S PLEA CHALLENGING 3-YEAR TENURE OF NCLT MEMBERS IN JUNE: A PLEA IN SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court in the case National Company Law Tribunal Bar Association Vs Union Of India observed in a petition filed by the NCLT Bar Association challenging the notification of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs fixing the tenure of the members of National Company Law Tribunal as 3 years, while adjourning the hearing.

It was being argued before the court that the discharge of full five years is necessary for Tribunals to functions effectively and efficiently and by the time the members achieve the required knowledge, efficiency and expertise and a term of three years is very short as one term will be over.

On April 5, a notice is being issued on the petition to the Centre by the bench comprising of Justice L Nageswara Rao.

Further it was argued that the Notification is contrary to the judgments passed by the Supreme Court in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India & Anr. (2010) and Madras Bar Association v. Union of India & Anr. (2021) The Court held that the term of members should be 5 years. It was also being observed in the Madras Bar Association Case in which the Supreme Court observed that a longer term was necessary to ensure independence and the Court disapproved the shorter term.

It was being argued by the Association that the said notification is contrary as according to Section 413 of the Companies Act, 2013 which clearly prescribes the term of members for 5 years and even also the early expiration of the tenure will create a void and will add to the pendency of cases before Tribunals.

The Committee is considering all aspects of the matter including the verification report, assessment of suitability etc As on June 20, one of the members is due to retire and it was being submitted by Solicitor General the matter can be considered on June 15.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that a meeting was held by the committee On April 20.

The term prescribed by Companies Act, 2013 is 5 years was being submitted before the court by Senior Advocate Tushar Malhotra, Appearing for the Petitioner.

The Bench comprising of Justice DY Chandrachud and the Justice Bela M Trivedi observed deferred the hearing to June 15 as the bench was being told that a committee chaired by the Chief Justice of India and consisting of Justice Surya Kant and the Secretary of the MCA is holding a meeting to deliberate on the term of 23 NCLT members appointed in 2019 by the Solicitor General of India.