NEW DELHI, October 29: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the presidents of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to submit comprehensive proposals outlining their infrastructure, building and staffing requirements within four weeks.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the proposals should identify the facilities and personnel needed to ensure the tribunals function efficiently. It also asked the NCLT to examine the need for an officer of Deputy Registrar or Joint Registrar rank at every bench to maintain judicial records.
The bench directed the Attorney General to impress upon the Union government the urgency of providing essential facilities. It also asked the Centre to hold consultations with the relevant stakeholders after Attorney General R Venkataramani proposed a joint meeting involving the tribunal leadership and members of the Bar to establish priorities.
The directions came amid concerns over deteriorating infrastructure at the NCLT Principal Bench, where two floors were reportedly shut and courts were operating at half strength.
The apex court had previously asked the Centre to identify the urgent infrastructure requirements of NCLT benches in consultation with the tribunal’s president. Emphasising the importance of tribunals to the functioning of the government and the justice system, it had also directed the NCLT Principal Bench Bar Association to compile information on facilities at regional benches in a tabulated format.
The court is hearing a suo motu case concerning vacancies among judicial and technical members and inadequate infrastructure at the NCLT.
In an application filed in the pending proceedings, the NCLT Bar Association stated that at least 18 benches were conducting hearings for only half a day because of a shortage of members. The association argued that the tribunal’s sanctioned strength of 63 members had remained unchanged despite a substantial expansion of its jurisdiction following the enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
According to the application, as of June 30, 2026, the NCLT had 26 judicial members and 25 technical members, including the president.
The latest directions seek to establish a clearer assessment of the tribunals’ operational needs and enable the government to consider measures to address deficiencies. The four-week deadline is intended to bring the requirements before the Supreme Court for further consideration.
The proceedings highlight the challenges facing company law tribunals as they handle matters involving corporate disputes, insolvency proceedings and other commercial issues. Adequate staffing and functional courtrooms are essential to ensuring that cases are heard efficiently and that judicial records are properly maintained.
The court’s intervention is aimed at obtaining a consolidated picture of infrastructure and personnel shortages so that appropriate steps can be considered to strengthen the tribunals’ functioning.