Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008
17. Establishment of Appellate Tribunal —The Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish an Appellate Tribunal to be known as the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal to—
(a) adjudicate any dispute—
(i) between two or more service providers;
(ii) between a service provider and a group of consumer:
Provided that the Appellate Tribunal may, if considers appropriate, obtain the opinion of the Authority on any matter relating to such dispute:
Provided further that nothing in this clause shall apply in respect of matters—
(i) relating to the monopolistic trade practice, restrictive trade practice and unfair trade practice which are subject to the jurisdiction of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission established under sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (54 of 1969);
(ii) relating to the complaint of an individual consumer maintainable before a Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum or a Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission or the National Consumer Redressal Commission established under section 9 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986);
(iii) which are within the purview of the Competition Act, 2002 (12 of 2003);
(iv) relating to an order of eviction which is appealable under section 28-K of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 (55 of 1994);
(b) hear and dispose of appeal against any direction, decision or order of the Authority under this Act.
18. Application for settlement of disputes and appeals to Appellate Tribunal —(1) The Central Government or a State Government or a local authority or any person may make an application to the Appellate Tribunal for adjudication of any dispute as referred to in clause (a) of section 17.
(2) The Central Government or a State Government or a local authority or any person aggrieved by any direction, decision or order made by the Authority may prefer an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal.
(3) Every appeal under sub-section (2) shall be preferred within a period of thirty days from the date on which a copy of the direction or order or decision made by the Authority is received by the Central Government or the State Government or the local authority or the aggrieved person and it shall be in such form, verified in such manner and be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Appellate Tribunal may entertain any appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if it is satisfied that there was sufficient cause for not filing it within that period.
(4) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1) or an appeal under sub-section (2), the Appellate Tribunal may, after giving the parties to the dispute or the appeal an opportunity of being heard, pass such orders thereon as it thinks fit.
(5) The Appellate Tribunal shall send a copy of every order made by it to the parties to the dispute or the appeal and to the Authority, as the case may be.
(6) The application made under sub-section (1) or the appeal preferred under sub-section (2) shall be dealt with by it as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made by it to dispose of the application or appeal finally within ninety days from the date of receipt of application or appeal, as the case may be:
Provided that where any such application or appeal could not be disposed of within the said period of ninety days, the Appellate Tribunal shall record its reasons in writing for not disposing of the application or appeal within that period.
(7) The Appellate Tribunal may, for the purpose of examining the legality or propriety or correctness, of any dispute made in any application under sub-section (1), or of any direction or order or decision of the Authority referred to in the appeal preferred under sub-section (2), on its own motion or otherwise, call for the records relevant to deposing of such application or appeal and make such orders as it thinks fit.
19. Composition of Appellate Tribunal —(1) The Appellate Tribunal shall consist of a Chairperson and not more than two Members to be appointed, by notification in the Official Gazette, by the Central Government:
Provided that the Chairperson or a Member holding a post as such in any other Tribunal, established under any law for the time being in force, in addition to his being the Chairperson or a Member of that Tribunal, may be appointed as the Chairperson or a Member, as the case may be, of the Appellate Tribunal under this Act.
(2) The selection of Chairperson and Members of the Appellate Tribunal shall be made by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or his nominee.
20. Qualifications for appointment of Chairperson and Members —A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chairperson or a Member of the Appellate Tribunal unless he—
(a) in the case of Chairperson, is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court;
(b) in the case of a Member, has held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent post in the Central Government or the State Government for a total period of not less than two years in the Ministries or Departments dealing with aviation or economics or law or a person who is well-versed in the field of aviation or economics or law.
26. Decision to be by majority —If the Chairperson and other Members differ in opinion on any matter, such matter shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority.
27. Members, etc., to be public servants —The Chairperson, Members and other officers and employees of the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
28. Civil Court not to have jurisdiction —No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceeding in respect of any matter which the Appellate Tribunal is empowered by or under this Act to determine and no injunction shall be granted by any Court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Act.
29. Procedure and powers of Appellate Tribunal —(1) The Appellate Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), but shall be guided by the principles of natural justice and, subject to the other provisions of this Act, the Appellate Tribunal shall have powers to regulate its own procedure.
(2) The Appellate Tribunal shall have, for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Act, the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely:—
(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;
(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents;
(c) receiving evidence on affidavits;
(d) subject to the provisions of sections 123 and 124 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), requisitioning any public record or document or a copy of such record or document, from any office;
(e) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents;
(f) reviewing its decisions;
(g) dismissing an application for default or deciding it, ex parte ;
(h) setting aside any order of dismissal of any application for default or any order passed by it, ex parte ; and
(i) any other matter which may be prescribed.
(3) Every proceeding before the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228, and for the purposes of section 196 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for the purposes of section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
30. Right to legal representation —The applicant or appellant may either appear in person or authorises one or more chartered accountants or company secretaries or cost accountants or legal practitioners or any of its officers to present his or its case before the Appellate Tribunal.
Explanation—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “chartered accountant” means a chartered accountant as defined in clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 (38 of 1949) and who has obtained a certificate of practice under sub-section (1) of section 6 of that Act;
(b) “company secretary” means a company secretary as defined in clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (56 of 1980) and who has obtained a certificate of practice under sub-section (1) of section 6 of that Act;
(c) “cost accountant” means a cost accountant as defined in clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959 (23 of 1959), and who has obtained a certificate of practice under sub-section (1) of section 6 of that Act;
(d) “legal practitioner” means an advocate, vakil or an attorney of any High Court, and includes a pleader in practice.
