Home The Constitution Part XIVA Article 323A

Art. 323A Part XIVA: Tribunals

Administrative Tribunals

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) Parliament may, by law, provide for the adjudication or trial by administrative tribunals of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State or of any local or other authority within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India or of any corporation owned or controlled by the Government.

(2) A law made under clause (1) may— (a) provide for the establishment of an administrative tribunal for the Union and a separate administrative tribunal for each State or for two or more States; (b) specify the jurisdiction, powers... (c) provide for the exclusion of the jurisdiction of all courts, except the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under article 136, with respect to the disputes or complaints referred to in clause (1)... [subject to L. Chandra Kumar's ruling preserving High Court review].

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

Added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), this Article lets Parliament set up specialised Administrative Tribunals — like the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) — to handle disputes about government employees' recruitment and service conditions, instead of routing every such dispute through the regular civil court system. The idea was faster, more specialised adjudication for the huge volume of public-service disputes.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

If you're a government employee with a grievance about your recruitment, promotion, or service conditions, this Article is why your first stop is often the CAT (or a state-level equivalent), rather than a regular civil court — a specifically designed faster track for these disputes.

Landmark Cases

How courts have interpreted this Article

L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of IndiaAIR 1997 SC 1125 — Held that Tribunal decisions remain subject to judicial review by the High Courts under Articles 226/227 — Parliament cannot use this Article to fully exclude High Court oversight, since that would violate the basic structure. Verify this case

Read alongside this one

Art. 308 — Interpretation — Civil Servants Art. 311 — Protection Against Arbitrary Dismissal

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 323A

Can I skip the Tribunal and go straight to the High Court for a service dispute?

Generally you're expected to approach the relevant Tribunal first for matters within its jurisdiction, though its decision remains reviewable by the High Court afterward, per L. Chandra Kumar.

← BackPart XIVA Overview Next →Article 323B: Tribunals for Other Matters

The text above reproduces Article 323A of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.