Former Supreme Court judge Justice Rajesh Bindal was appointed chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday, Bar & Bench reported. His appointment comes months after former Supreme Court judge Justice Ashok Bhushan completed his tenure as NCLAT chairperson on July 4, 2026.
The appointment comes amid recent scrutiny by the Supreme Court of the functioning of NCLAT. “I know how contractors play their hands. They don’t care about judicial/technical members. Complete autonomy must be with presidents. They can take UPSC/SSC. The tribunal has been completely hijacked by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. That is impinging on the autonomy of the institution. That’s the problem. The ministry wants to have complete grip; that’s most unfortunate,” the CJI orally remarked while hearing a petition filed by contractual employees working in the NCLT, NCLAT.
Bindal retired from the Supreme Court on April 15 this year after serving at the top court for over three years. Before his elevation to the Supreme Court in February 2023, Justice Bindal served as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Last week, the top court had raised concerns over the ministry of corporate affairs’ control over the tribunals, with CJI Surya Kant remarking that the ministry had “completely hijacked” the institutions.
