📜 Article 247 of the Indian Constitution
Title: Power of Parliament to provide for the establishment of certain additional courts
Part XI – Relations Between the Union and the States
Chapter I – Legislative Powers
🔹 Text Summary of Article 247:
Parliament may by law provide for the establishment of additional courts for the better administration of laws made by Parliament, especially for Union List subjects.
🧠 Key Points:
| 🔍 Feature | 📘 Details |
|---|---|
| 🏛️ Who has the power? | Only Parliament |
| 📚 Purpose of the power | To set up additional courts (like tribunals or special courts) to implement Union laws effectively |
| ⚖️ Type of laws covered | Only those made by Parliament (especially under Union List of Seventh Schedule) |
| 🧭 Scope | All over India, including Union Territories |
| 🧑⚖️ Examples | |
| – National Green Tribunal (NGT) | |
| – Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) | |
| – Special CBI Courts | |
| – NIA Courts (for terrorism cases) |
📌 Use Case of Article 247:
When existing courts (like High Courts or District Courts) are not enough to handle technical or specialized cases, Parliament can create additional courts through a law to:
-
Speed up justice
-
Reduce pendency
-
Handle specific subjects (e.g., environment, service disputes, terrorism)
🔁 Related Articles:
| 🔢 Article | 📘 Subject |
|---|---|
| 245 | Extent of laws made by Parliament and States |
| 246 | Distribution of subject matter (Union, State Lists) |
| 248 | Parliament’s power on residuary subjects |
| 323A & 323B | Administrative and other tribunals |
🧠 In Simple Words:
Article 247 allows Parliament to create extra courts or tribunals for matters it has legislated on (especially Union List topics) to improve justice delivery.
Here is a 📊 Chart of Courts and Tribunals Established Under Article 247 – these were set up by Parliament for better administration of Union laws, especially those under the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
⚖️ Courts & Tribunals Established Under Article 247
| 🏛️ Name of Court / Tribunal | 🧾 Purpose | ⚖️ Relevant Union Subject / Law | 📍 Jurisdiction / Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Green Tribunal (NGT) | Handles cases related to environmental protection and pollution control | Environment Protection Act, 1986 (Union List Entry 13) | All India |
| Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) | Deals with service-related disputes of central government employees | Article 323A; Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 | All India (for central govt. staff) |
| Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) | Resolves disputes & complaints in the armed forces | Armed Forces Act; Defence (Union List Entry 1) | All India (military personnel only) |
| National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) | Corporate disputes, insolvency, and winding-up of companies | Companies Act, IBC; Corporate law (Union List Entry 43, 44) | All India |
| National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Courts | Tries terrorism and national security-related offences | NIA Act, 2008 (Public order, security – Union List) | Designated areas across India |
| Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) | Appeals related to direct taxation | Income Tax Act (Union List Entry 82) | All India |
| Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) | Hears cases on indirect taxes (customs, GST, excise) | Customs Act, GST Law (Union List Entries 83, 84) | All India |
| Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT) | Recovery of debts due to banks and financial institutions | Recovery of Debts Act, 1993; Banking (Union List Entry 45) | All India |
🧠 Purpose of Article 247:
To allow Parliament to create specialized courts or tribunals for efficient implementation of Union laws and reduce burden on traditional judiciary.
🔁 Related Articles:
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| 247 | Power to establish additional courts |
| 323A | Administrative Tribunals |
| 323B | Tribunals for other matters |
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