EXTRACTS FROM THE CONTROL OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS (LAND AND TRAFFIC) ACT, 2002 (13 OF 2003)
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Definitions.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) ''appointed day'', in relation to a Tribunal, means the date on which such Tribunal is established under sub-section (1) of section 5;
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(l) “Tribunal” means the Airport Appellate Tribunal referred to in sub-section (1) of Section 5;
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CHAPTER II
HIGHWAYS ADMINISTRATION AND TRIBUNALS ETC.
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Establishment of Tribunals.
5. (1) The Airport Appellate Tribunal established under section 28-I of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 shall, on and from the commencement of Part XIV of Chapter VI of the Finance Act, 2017 (7 of 2017.), be the Tribunal for the purposes of this Act and the said Tribunal shall exercise the jurisdiction, power and authority conferred on it by or under this Act.
(2) The Central Government shall specify, by notification in the Official Gazette, the limits of the Highway within which, or the length of Highway on which, the Tribunal may exercise jurisdiction for entertaining and deciding the appeals field before it.
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Jurisdiction, powers and authority of Tribunal.
14. A Tribunal shall exercise, on and from the appointed day, the jurisdiction, powers and authority to entertain appeals from the orders passed or actions (except issuance or serving of notices) taken under sections 26, 27, 28, 36, 37 and 38 by the Highway Administration or an officer authorised on its behalf, as the case may be.
Bar of jurisdiction.
15. On and from the appointed day, no court (except the Supreme Court and a High Court exercising jurisdiction under articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution) or other authority, except the Tribunal shall have, or be entitled to exercise, any jurisdiction, powers or authority in relation to the matters specified in section 14.
Procedure and powers of Tribunal.
16. (1) The 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 and of any rules, the Tribunal shall have powers to regulate its own procedure including the places at which it shall have its sittings.
(2) The appeal filed before the Tribunal under section 14 shall be dealt with by it as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made by it to dispose of the appeal finally within four months from the date of the receipt of the appeal.
(3) The 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) issuing commissions for examination of witnesses or documents;
(e) reviewing its decisions;
(f) dismissing an appeal or application for default or deciding it ex parte;
(g) setting aside any order of dismissal of any appeal or application for default or any order passed by it ex parte; and
(h) any other matter which may be prescribed.
(4) Any proceeding before the 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 Tribunal shall be deemed to be a civil court for all the purposes of section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974.).
Conditions as to making of interim order.
17. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, no interim order (whether by way of injunction or stay or in any other manner) shall be made on, or in any proceeding relating to, an application or appeal unless-
(a) copies of such application or appeal and of all documents in support of the plea for such interim order are furnished to the party against whom such application is made or appeal is preferred; and
(b) opportunity is given to such party to be heard in the matter:
Provided that the Tribunal may dispense with the requirements of clauses (a) and (b) and make an interim order as an exceptional measure if it is satisfied, for reasons to be recorded in writing, that it is necessary so to do for preventing any loss being caused to the applicant or the appellant, as the case may be; which cannot be adequately compensated in money; but any such interim order shall, if it is not sooner vacated, cease to have effect on the expiry of a period of fourteen days from the date on which it is made unless the said requirements have been complied with before the expiry of that period and the Tribunal has continued the operation of the interim order.
Execution of orders of Tribunal.
18. (1) An order passed by the Tribunal under this Act shall be executable by the Tribunal as a decree of a civil court, and for this purpose, the Tribunal shall have all the powers of the civil court.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Tribunal may transmit any order made by it to the civil court having local jurisdiction and such civil court shall execute the order as if it were a decree made by that court.
Limitation.
19. Every appeal to the Tribunal under this Act shall be preferred within a period of sixty days from the date on which the order appealed against has been made:
Provided that an appeal may be admitted after the expiry of the said period of sixty days, if the appellant satisfies the Tribunal that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within the specified period.
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CHAPTER VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
Right of appellant to take assistance of legal practitioner.
40. A person preferring an appeal to the Tribunal under this Act may either appear in person or take the assistance of a legal practitioner of his choice to present his case before the Tribunal.
Finality of orders.
41. Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, every order made or any action taken by the Highway Administration or the officer authorised in this behalf by such Administration or every order passed or decision made on appeal under this Act by the Tribunal shall be final and shall not be called in question in any original suit, application or execution proceeding 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 to the Highway Administration or Tribunal.
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Power to make rules.
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(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-
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(f) the additional matters in respect of which the Tribunal may exercise the powers of a civil court under clause (h) of sub-section (3) of section 16;
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