In Brief
Rojer Mathew challenged the constitutional validity of the Finance Act, 2017, which altered conditions of service and appointments for tribunal members and was certified as a money bill. The Supreme Court held the Act valid as a money bill; that delegated rule-making power to standardize tribunal qualifications was constitutionally sound; but that the resulting Rules inadequately protected tribunal independence through excessive executive discretion and short tenures. The Court directed judicial impact assessments for all tribunals, diversion of direct Supreme Court appeals to High Courts, amalgamation of niche tribunals, and establishment of proper supervisory structures under the Ministry of Law to safeguard tribunal independence.
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