FOREIGN TRIBUNAL-The Hindu-01-10-2022

FOREIGN TRIBUNAL-The Hindu-01-10-2022
GS-2
POLITY
CONTEXT:
The Assam government has decided not to extend the term of members who were appointed for 200 additional Foreigners’ Tribunals (FT) that were set up primarily to handle cases related to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
PRELIM AND MAINS:
A Foreigners’ Tribunal or FT is a quasi-judicial body and a member is a designation similar to a judge. Practising lawyers and retired civil servants and judicial officers were appointed as members for the additional FTs soon after the complete draft NRC was published in August 2019, leaving out 19.06 of some 3.3 lakh applicants.
What is a Foreigners tribunal?
Foreigners’ Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies established as per the Foreigners’ Tribunal Order, 1964 and the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.
Composition: Advocates not below the age of 35 years of age with at least 7 years of practice (or) Retired Judicial Officers from the Assam Judicial Service (or) Retired IAS of ACS Officers (not below the rank of Secretary/Addl. Secretary) having experience in quasi-judicial works.
Who can setup these tribunals?
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals (quasi-judicial bodies) to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.
Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.
Who can approach?
The amended order (Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019) also empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals.
Earlier, only the State administration could move the Tribunal against a suspect.