Question

Which of the following Courts/ Tribunals cannot entertain a Public Interest Litigation:

• A. Supreme Court
• B. High Court
• C. Central Administrative Tribunal
• D. None of the Above

Hint:

PIL is a function of the broad constitutional writ powers of the Supreme Court and High Courts. Specialized tribunals like CAT have a limited, statutory jurisdiction (e.g., service matters) and lack the power to hear general public interest cases.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a judicial tool that originated from the writ jurisdiction of the constitutional courts. The Supreme Court (under Article 32) and the High Courts (under Article 226) have the wide constitutional power to issue writs to protect fundamental rights and for other public purposes, which is the basis for entertaining PILs. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), on the other hand, is a statutory tribunal established under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. Its jurisdiction is specifically limited to service-related disputes of government employees. It does not possess the broad writ jurisdiction necessary to entertain a PIL on general public matters.