AFT to MoD: no more frivolous appeals

The Chandigarh Bench of India's Armed Forces Tribunal has sent a strong message to the government: stop filing frivolous appeals or we will order exemplary costs to be paid by individual officials. Details here. Excerpt:

The AFT has strongly reacted to indiscriminate appeals filed by the MoD in such matters leading to delay in harvesting the fruits of litigation with the “progeny looking at empty coffers of their parents”. Recalling an SC decision, the Tribunal has reminded the government that they should become a responsible litigant and not file vexatious appeals.

The Tribunal’s order also held that such frivolous litigation leads to wastage of public time and injury to the disabled soldiers, which cannot be compensated in terms of money. “The dockets of the court are rising at the cost of the pockets of poor litigants and it becomes unbearable for them to approach the highest court of the land to defend such frivolous appeals and it causes untold miseries to them,” the Tribunal observed.