The annual All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was held in New Delhi on 16 February 2020. The Conference was presided over by the Union Minister for Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad. Highlights: The jurists and experts deliberated on key issues related to the functioning of the Tribunal and priorities for 2020. The conference had two technical sessions that discussed issues related to the work of CAT, including structural and institutional issues, the functioning of administrative tribunals in other legal systems and methodology for the functioning of the tribunal. They discussed methods and measures to improve the quality of adjudication and rate of disposal, service condition of members and infrastructural aspect of the Tribunal’s Benches. The conference aimed to bring a significant improvement in the disposal of cases despite the shortage of members in the Tribunal. The importance of laying down judgments on service jurisprudence with greater clarity towards greater transparency in the governance was highlighted. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the functioning of the Tribunal was highlighted. Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT): CAT was established in 1985 under Article 323-A of the Constitution. CAT has 17 Benches and 21 Circuit Benches. It is headed by Chairman Sh. Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of High Court of Patna. CAT has been an essential organ of the government towards the achievement of a complaints-free delivery system in the past years. CAT has made significant changes in the Prevention of Corruption Act and other service matters. Participants: Judicial and Administrative Members from all 17 Benches of CAT, members of the CAT Bar Association and eminent Jurists from across the country participated in the conference.
