Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 - Procedure

Section 19 of CAT Act 1985 - Applications to Tribunals

Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 provides the basic statutory route for an aggrieved person to approach an Administrative Tribunal for redressal of a grievance concerning a matter within the Tribunal's jurisdiction. It also explains what constitutes an "order", how an application is to be filed, how the Tribunal may admit or summarily reject it, and what happens to parallel departmental grievance proceedings after admission.

In brief: A person aggrieved by an order relating to a matter within the Tribunal's jurisdiction may file an application under Section 19, subject to the other provisions of the Act. Filing and admission must also be read with the requirements concerning exhaustion of departmental remedies under Section 20, limitation under Section 21, and the Tribunal's procedural powers under Section 22.

Statutory text of Section 19

19. Applications to Tribunals.

(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, a person aggrieved by any order pertaining to any matter within the jurisdiction of a Tribunal may make an application to the Tribunal for the redressal of his grievance.

Explanation. For the purposes of this sub-section, "order" means an order made -

(a) by the Government or a local or other authority within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India or by any corporation or society owned or controlled by the Government; or

(b) by an officer, committee or other body or agency of the Government or a local or other authority or corporation or society referred to in clause (a).

(2) Every application under sub-section (1) shall be in such form and be accompanied by such documents or other evidence and by such fee, if any, not exceeding one hundred rupees, in respect of the filing of such application and by such other fees for the service or execution of processes, as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(3) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the Tribunal shall, if satisfied after such inquiry as it may deem necessary that the application is a fit case for adjudication or trial by it, admit such application; but where the Tribunal is not so satisfied, it may summarily reject the application after recording its reasons.

(4) Where an application has been admitted by a Tribunal under sub-section (3), every proceeding under the relevant service rules as to redressal of grievances in relation to the subject-matter of such application pending immediately before such admission shall abate and, save as otherwise directed by the Tribunal, no appeal or representation in relation to such matter shall thereafter be entertained under such rules.

Who can file an application under Section 19?

The applicant must be a person aggrieved by an order concerning a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the relevant Administrative Tribunal. For the Central Administrative Tribunal, jurisdiction is principally governed by Section 14 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, subject to the scope and exclusions contained in the Act.

Section 19 should therefore not be read in isolation. Before filing, the applicant should identify the impugned order, the service matter involved, the authority that passed the order, the appropriate Bench, and whether any statutory prerequisite under the Act remains to be complied with.

Meaning of "order" under Section 19

The Explanation to Section 19(1) gives "order" a specific statutory meaning for this provision. It covers orders made by the Government, specified governmental or controlled authorities, corporations or societies, and by officers, committees, bodies or agencies of those entities. The definition helps identify the kind of administrative decision that may give rise to an application before the Tribunal.

Form, documents, evidence and fees

Section 19(2) authorises the Central Government to prescribe the form of the application, supporting documents or evidence, the filing fee within the statutory ceiling, and process-related fees. In practice, filing procedure is governed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 1987 and the Central Administrative Tribunal Rules of Practice, 1993, as applicable and as amended.

Applicants should use the current filing requirements published by the Central Administrative Tribunal, including its current e-filing instructions where electronic filing is available. Court or Tribunal filing requirements may change through rules, practice directions, notifications or technical instructions, so the official CAT portal should be checked before filing.

Admission or summary rejection under Section 19(3)

Receipt of an application does not by itself mean that it has been admitted for adjudication. The Tribunal may make such inquiry as it considers necessary and must be satisfied that the matter is fit for adjudication or trial. If the Tribunal is not satisfied, it may summarily reject the application, but Section 19(3) requires reasons to be recorded for such rejection.

Effect of admission on departmental grievance proceedings

Under Section 19(4), once an application is admitted, pending proceedings under the relevant service rules concerning redressal of the same grievance abate. Unless the Tribunal directs otherwise, no appeal or representation concerning that matter is thereafter to be entertained under those service rules.

This statutory consequence applies after admission under Section 19(3). It is therefore distinct from the pre-filing requirement under Section 20, which deals with exhaustion of other remedies.

Sections to read with Section 19

Section 14 - jurisdiction, powers and authority of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
Section 18 - distribution of business amongst Benches.
Section 20 - application not to be admitted unless other remedies are exhausted.
Section 21 - limitation for applications before the Tribunal.
Section 22 - procedure and powers of Tribunals.

Judicial review of CAT decisions

The Administrative Tribunals Act must also be read in light of the constitutional position governing judicial review. Decisions of the Central Administrative Tribunal are subject to scrutiny before the jurisdictional High Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution in accordance with the law declared by the Supreme Court. This does not alter the Section 19 filing mechanism, but it is relevant to the overall remedial structure.

Important: This page is a general legal information resource. Filing requirements, limitation, territorial jurisdiction, necessary parties, annexures, court fees, e-filing specifications and applicable service rules should be checked for the facts of the particular matter before an application is filed.

Official legal and filing resources

For the current statutory text and current Tribunal filing facilities, refer to the official India Code and Central Administrative Tribunal portals linked in the sidebar. The official CAT website also publishes case status, cause lists, daily orders, forms and e-filing guidance.

Page updated: 14 September 2026.