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Section 119: Officers and other employees of Appellate Tribunal

Electricity Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 2003
Section 118 All 185 Sections of Electricity Act Section 120

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 119

Section 119 of the Act provides for the appointment of officers and employees of the Appellate Tribunal, establishing an autonomous registry, legal research wing, and administrative secretariat.

  • Autonomous Tribunal Registry: Authorizes the Chairperson of APTEL to oversee the appointment of registrars, court masters, and administrative officers in consultation with the Central Government.
  • Dedicated Legal Research Wing: Enables the Tribunal to engage law clerks, judicial researchers, and power systems analysts to assist in digesting complex regulatory records.
  • Independent Administrative Budget: Ensures the secretariat functions with financial autonomy to maintain digital courtrooms and hybrid video conferencing infrastructure.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Union of India v. R. Gandhi (2010) 11 SCC 1: Constitution Bench affirmed that adequate administrative staffing and independent secretariats are vital for tribunals to function effectively.
  • PTC India Ltd. v. CERC (2010) 4 SCC 603: Affirmed that specialized technical secretariats are essential for evaluating complex electricity appeals.
  • State of Gujarat v. Utility Users' Welfare Association (2018) 6 SCC 21: Affirmed the necessity of modern administrative infrastructure in regulatory appellate bodies.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

In appeals involving thousands of pages of tariff filings, submit digital hyperlinked PDF convenience compilations to the Registry under Section 119; this facilitates efficient review by the bench and its legal research clerks.

Section 118 All 185 Sections of Electricity Act Section 120