Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007

Section 19 of AFT Act 2007: Power to Punish for Contempt

Section 19 of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007 gives the Armed Forces Tribunal a specific statutory power to punish certain contempt committed in relation to proceedings before the Tribunal. It also applies specified procedural provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to the trial of an offence under this section with necessary adaptations.

Statutory text checked against the current central legislation. Page updated: 7 September 2026.

In brief: A person who uses insulting or threatening language toward the Tribunal, or causes interruption or disturbance in its proceedings, may on conviction face imprisonment for a term extending up to three years. For trial of an offence under Section 19, Sections 14, 15, 17, 18 and 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 apply mutatis mutandis with the substitutions stated in Section 19(2).

What is Section 19 of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007?

Section 19 is titled "Power to punish for contempt." It is part of Chapter III of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007, which deals with the jurisdiction, powers and authority of the Tribunal. The provision is directed at conduct that interferes with the dignity or orderly functioning of proceedings before the Tribunal.

Text of Section 19 - Power to punish for contempt

Section 19. Power to punish for contempt.

(1) Any person who is guilty of contempt of the Tribunal by using any insulting or threatening language, or by causing any interruption or disturbance in the proceedings of such Tribunal shall, on conviction, be liable to suffer imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years.

(2) For the purposes of trying an offence under this section, the provisions of sections 14, 15, 17, 18 and 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (70 of 1971) shall mutatis mutandis apply, as if a reference therein to-

Supreme Court or High Court were a reference to the Tribunal;
Chief Justice were a reference to the Chairperson;
Judge were a reference to the Judicial or Administrative Member of the Tribunal;
Advocate-General were a reference to the prosecutor; and
Court were a reference to the Tribunal.

What conduct is covered by Section 19(1)?

The statutory wording identifies two broad forms of conduct capable of attracting Section 19:

Insulting or threatening language: Using insulting or threatening language in a manner amounting to contempt of the Tribunal.
Interruption or disturbance: Causing an interruption or disturbance in the proceedings of the Tribunal.

The section is therefore closely connected with maintaining orderly adjudicatory proceedings before the Armed Forces Tribunal.

Punishment under Section 19

Section 19(1) provides that a person convicted of contempt falling within the provision is liable to imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years. The section itself does not prescribe a mandatory minimum term.

Meaning of "mutatis mutandis" in Section 19(2)

The expression "mutatis mutandis" means that the identified provisions of another statute apply with the changes necessary to make them work in the different statutory setting. Section 19(2) does this expressly by substituting references such as Supreme Court or High Court with the Tribunal, Chief Justice with Chairperson, and Advocate-General with prosecutor.

Contempt of Courts Act provisions applied by Section 19(2)

Section 19(2) specifically incorporates Sections 14, 15, 17, 18 and 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 for the purpose of trying an offence under Section 19. In broad terms, those provisions concern the following subjects:

Section 14: Procedure where contempt is committed in the face of the Supreme Court or a High Court, adapted for the Tribunal by Section 19(2).
Section 15: Cognizance of criminal contempt in other cases, subject to the substitutions specified by the AFT Act.
Section 17: Procedure after cognizance, including notice and procedural requirements.
Section 18: Hearing of cases of criminal contempt by Benches, adapted to the Tribunal context.
Section 20: Limitation for initiating contempt proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act framework as applied by Section 19(2).

Important: Section 19 does not incorporate the whole of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. It expressly applies only Sections 14, 15, 17, 18 and 20 for the purpose stated in Section 19(2), with the statutory substitutions listed in clauses (a) to (e).

Appeal against an AFT contempt order

Section 30(2) of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007: An appeal lies to the Supreme Court as of right from an order or decision of the Tribunal made in exercise of its contempt jurisdiction. The statutory proviso requires such an appeal to be filed within 60 days from the date of the order appealed against.

This special appeal provision is distinct from the general appeal framework applicable to other final decisions or orders of the Tribunal.

Official legal references

The current text of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007 on India Code contains Sections 19 and 30. The incorporated procedural provisions can be checked in the official Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 on India Code. The Armed Forces Tribunal official Act and Rules page provides the AFT Act, Procedure Rules, Practice Rules and related material.

Related provisions of the AFT Act

For the surrounding statutory scheme, see Section 17 - Powers of the Tribunal on appeal, Section 18 - Cost and Section 20 - Distribution of business among the Benches.