Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal urges reforms in tribunal practices, stressing that government departments must stop filing appeals by default and adopt rational decision-making.
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NEW DELHI: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has criticised the practice of government departments filing appeals automatically, even when court and tribunal decisions are legally sound. Speaking at the 10th All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), 2025, Meghwal highlighted that this tendency wastes time, resources, and can undermine the credibility of administrative justice.
Meghwal noted that many departments challenge tribunal and court orders as a matter of routine. Often, when a concerned officer retires, the government discovers that there was no real need to file the appeal.
“We must correct this practice and this tendency of automatic appeals needs to be reconsidered,”
the Minister emphasized.
He further explained that the CAT was established to ensure justice for civil servants, yet departments continue to approach cases mechanically. Officials sometimes feel obliged to appeal merely because a prior internal note suggested disagreement with a decision, even if the tribunal ultimately rules in favor of the other party.
“Even when the order is correct, officials insist that ‘we must file an appeal,”
Meghwal stated.
The Law Minister’s remarks underline the need for rational and responsible decision-making within government departments. Automatic appeals not only burden the judicial system but also delay justice and create unnecessary administrative work.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Attorney General R Venkataramani also witnessed the event.