Section 109 - Constitution of Appellate Tribunal and Benches thereof. - CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX ACT, 2017

7 [ Constitution of Appellate Tribunal and Benches thereof. 109. (1) The Government shall, on the recommendations of the Council, by notification, establish with effect from such date as may be specified therein, an Appellate Tribunal known as the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority. (2) The jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred on the Appellate Tribunal shall be exercised by the Principal Bench and the State Benches constituted under sub-section (3) and sub-section (4). (3) The Government shall, by notification, constitute a Principal Bench of the Appellate Tribunal at New Delhi which shall consist of the President, a Judicial Member, a Technical Member (Centre) and a Technical Member (State). (4) On the request of the State, the Government may, by notification, constitute such number of State Benches at such places and with such jurisdiction as may be recommended by the Council, which shall consist of two Judicial Members, a Technical Member (Centre) and a Technical Member (State). (5) The Principal Bench and the State Bench shall hear appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority: Provided that the cases in which any one of the issues involved relates to the place of supply, shall be heard only by the Principal Bench. (6) The President shall, from time to time, by a general or special order, distribute the business of the Appellate Tribunal among the Benches and may transfer cases from one Bench to another. (7) The senior-most Judicial Member within the State Benches, as may be notified, shall act as the Vice-President for such State Benches and shall exercise such powers of the President as may be prescribed, but for all other purposes be considered as a Member. (8) Appeals, where the tax or input tax credit involved or the amount of fine, fee or penalty determined in any order appealed against, does not exceed fifty lakh rupees and which does not involve any question of law may, with the approval of the President, and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed on the recommendations of the Council, be heard by a single Member, and in all other cases, shall be heard together by one Judicial Member and one Technical Member. (9) If, after hearing the case, the Members differ in their opinion on any point or points, such Member shall state the point or points on which they differ, and the President shall refer such case for hearing, (a) where the appeal was originally heard by Members of a State Bench, to another Member of a State Bench within the State or, where no such other State Bench is available within the State, to a Member of a State Bench in another State; (b) where the appeal was originally heard by Members of the Principal Bench, to another Member from the Principal Bench or, where no such other Member is available, to a Member of any State Bench, and such point or points shall be decided according to the majority opinion including the opinion of the Members who first heard the case. (10) The Government may, in consultation with the President, for the administrative efficiency, transfer Members from one Bench to another Bench: Provided that a Technical Member (State) of a State Bench may be transferred to a State Bench only of the same State in which he was originally appointed, in consultation with the State Government. (11) No act or proceedings of the Appellate Tribunal shall be questioned or shall be invalid merely on the ground of the existence of any vacancy or defect in the constitution of the Appellate Tribunal. ] ************** Notes:- 1. Inserted vide THE CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (EXTENSION TO JAMMU AND KASHMIR) ACT, 2017 NO. 26 OF 2017 w.e.f. 8-7-2017 2. Inserted vide THE CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (EXTENSION TO JAMMU AND KASHMIR) ACT, 2017 NO. 26 OF 2017 w.e.f. 8-7-2017 3. Substituted vide THE CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (EXTENSION TO JAMMU AND KASHMIR) ACT, 2017 NO. 26 OF 2017 w.e.f. 8-7-2017, before it was read as, Provided that 4. Substituted vide THE CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (EXTENSION TO JAMMU AND KASHMIR) ACT, 2017 NO. 26 OF 2017 w.e.f. 8-7-2017, before it was read as, Provided further that 5. Omitted vide Finance Act, 2020 dated 27-03-2020 w.e.f. 30-06-2020 before it was read as 1 [except for the State of Jammu and Kashmir] 6. Omitted vide Finance Act, 2020 dated 27-03-2020 w.e.f. 30-06-2020 before it was read as 2 [ Provided that for the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the State Bench of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal constituted under this Act shall be the State Appellate Tribunal constituted under the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 :] 7. Substituted vide THE FINANCE ACT, 2023 dated 31-03-2023 w.e.f. 01-08-2023 before it was read as, Constitution of Appellate Tribunal and Benches thereof. 109. (1) The Government shall, on the recommendations of the Council, by notification, constitute with effect from such date as may be specified therein, an Appellate Tribunal known as the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority. (2) The powers of the Appellate Tribunal shall be exercisable by the National Bench and Benches thereof (hereinafter in this Chapter referred to as Regional Benches ), State Bench and Benches thereof (hereafter in this Chapter referred to as Area Benches ). (3) The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be situated at New Delhi which shall be presided over by the President and shall consist of one Technical Member (Centre) and one Technical Member (State). (4) The Government shall, on the recommendations of the Council, by notification, constitute such number of Regional Benches as may be required and such Regional Benches shall consist of a Judicial Member, one Technical Member (Centre) and one Technical Member (State). (5) The National Bench or Regional Benches of the Appellate Tribunal shall have jurisdiction to hear appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority in the cases where one of the issues involved relates to the place of supply. (6) The Government shall, by notification, specify for each State or Union territory 5 [ **** ] , a Bench of the Appellate Tribunal (hereafter in this Chapter, referred to as State Bench ) for exercising the powers of the Appellate Tribunal within the concerned State or Union territory: 6 [ **** ] 3 [Provided further that] the Government shall, on receipt of a request from any State Government, constitute such number of Area Benches in that State, as may be recommended by the Council: 4 [Provided also that] the Government may, on receipt of a request from any State, or on its own motion for a Union territory, notify the Appellate Tribunal in a State to act as the Appellate Tribunal for any other State or Union territory, as may be recommended by the Council, subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed. (7) The State Bench or Area Benches shall have jurisdiction to hear appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority in the cases involving matters other than those referred to in sub-section (5). (8) The President and the State President shall, by general or special order, distribute the business or transfer cases among Regional Benches or, as the case may be, Area Benches in a State. (9) Each State Bench and Area Benches of the Appellate Tribunal shall consist of a Judicial Member, one Technical Member (Centre) and one Technical Member (State) and the State Government may designate the senior most Judicial Member in a State as the State President. (10) In the absence of a Member in any Bench due to vacancy or otherwise, any appeal may, with the approval of the President or, as the case may be, the State President, be heard by a Bench of two Members: Provided that any appeal where the tax or input tax credit involved or the difference in tax or input tax credit involved or the amount of fine, fee or penalty determined in any order appealed against, does not exceed five lakh rupees and which does not involve any question of law may, with the approval of the President and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed on the recommendations of the Council, be heard by a bench consisting of a single member. (11) If the Members of the National Bench, Regional Benches, State Bench or Area Benches differ in opinion on any point or points, it shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority, if there is a majority, but if the Members are equally divided, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and the case shall be referred by the President or as the case may be, State President for hearing on such point or points to one or more of the other Members of the National Bench, Regional Benches, State Bench or Area Benches and such point or points shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority of Members who have heard the case, including those who first heard it. (12) The Government, in consultation with the President may, for the administrative convenience, transfer- (a) any Judicial Member or a Member Technical (State) from one Bench to another Bench, whether National or Regional; or (b) any Member Technical (Centre) from one Bench to another Bench, whether National, Regional, State or Area. (13) The State Government, in consultation with the State President may, for the administrative convenience, transfer a Judicial Member or a Member Technical (State) from one Bench to another Bench within the State. (14) No act or proceedings of the Appellate Tribunal shall be questioned or shall be invalid merely on the ground of the existence of any vacancy or defect in the constitution of the Appellate Tribunal.