Rajya Sabha Clears Bill to Set Up National Tribunals Commission Amid Opposition Walkout

Lok Sabha passes the Bill on Monday by voice vote, in 12 minutes, even as opposition members, who had given notices opposing its introduction, chose not to speak amid the din.

The Wire Staff

Lok Sabha passes the Bill on Monday by voice vote, in 12 minutes, even as opposition members, who had given notices opposing its introduction, chose not to speak amid the din.

rajya sabha clears bill to set up national tribunals commission amid opposition walkout

Rajya Sabha MPs during the voice vote for Tribunals Reforms Bill in monsoon session of parliament. Photo: Sansad TV

New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha passed a Bill to set up a National Tribunals Commission to select chairpersons and members for various tribunals without a debate and in just 12 minutes, Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (August 11) passed the Bill within an hour, with little debate and amid opposition walkout.

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, was tabled by Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and passed in Lok Sabha on Monday by voice vote even as opposition members, who had given notices opposing its introduction, chose not to speak amid the din.

As the Bill was being debated in the Upper House today, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to speak by the Chair. Subsequently, INDIA bloc members staged a walkout.

The opposition had been raising slogans demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement, who remained absent in both Houses.

The Lok Sabha, too, continued to pass bills within minutes as the opposition raised slogans demanding Shah’s presence in the House and a discussion on the donation theft in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Meghwal, who continued to speak on the Bill in Rajya Sabha, said tribunals play a complementary role to ensure speedy justice. He stressed that the Bill brings no changes in the jurisdiction of tribunals.

"Setting up of the National Tribunal Commission is the core of this Bill. It will have two judicial members and two technical members and will be headed by a former Supreme Court judge or a former chief justice of a High Court. The NTC will make appointments in the commission to make it transparent, independent and merit-based," he said.

Under the Modi government, rationalisation of tribunals started in 2016. Later, in 2021, the government brought the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance.

The Bill follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down certain provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, saying they were unconstitutional as they were contrary to the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence, and inconsistent with earlier judicial rulings on the appointment, tenure and functioning of tribunal members.

This article went live on August eleventh, two thousand twenty six, at forty-seven minutes past nine at night.

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