Tribunals in Kerala

Part XIV - A (14A) and Articles 323 A and 323 B were inserted into the Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976. Article 323 A deals with Administrative Tribunals and Article 323 B deals with Tribunals for other purposes. Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies empowered with judicial powers to deal with various disputes. Administrative Tribunals are established to resolve disputes relating to the appointment and conditions of service of persons appointed to the public services of the Centre, States, local bodies, public corporations and other public authorities. Article 323 B empowers the Parliament and the State Legislatures to establish Tribunals to resolve disputes relating mainly to the following matters: Rights relating to taxation, foreign exchange, import, export, industrial labour sector, land reforms, urban land acquisition, elections to Parliament and Legislative Assembly, food resources, and rent/lease.

Tribunals in Kerala

■ Kerala Administrative Tribunal

Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) is situated at Thiruvananthapuram. It is established on 22nd December 2011. Its Chairman is Justice K. Balakrishnan Nair. Kerala Administrative Tribunal consists of three judicial members including the chairman, and three non judicial members. Of the three benches, two will be based in Trivandrum and one in Kochi. The trivandrum benches will handle the cases from south kerala and kochi bench will handle the cases from north Kerala. It deals all the service related cases of State Government employees.

■ GST Appellate Tribunal Kerala

■ Kerala Agricultural Income Tax and Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal

■ University Appellate Tribunal for Kerala

■ Tribunal For Local Self Government Institutions

■ Munnar Special Tribunal

■ Kerala Industrial Tribunals