NATIONAL SPORTS TRIBUNALCentral

Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025

(1)The Central Government shall, by notification, constitute a National Sports Tribunal consisting of a chairperson and two other members, to provide for the independent, speedy, effective and cost-efficient disposal of sports related disputes.
(2)The chairperson shall be a person who is or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court.
(3)The members shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in sports, public administration and law.
(4)The chairperson and the other members of the Tribunal shall be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendations of a Search-cum-Selection Committee consisting of the following members, namely:---
1. (a)the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court Judge recommended by the Chief Justice of India---chairperson;
2. (b)the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Law and Justice---member;
3. (c)the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Sports---member
(5)The Search-cum-Selection Committee shall determine the procedure for making its recommendations.
(6)Notwithstanding anything contained in any judgment, order or decree of any court, or in any law for the time being in force, the Search-cum-Selection Committee shall recommend a panel of two names for appointment to the post of chairperson or member, as the case may be, and the Central Government shall take a decision on the recommendations made by that Committee, preferably within three months from the date of such recommendation.
(7)No appointment shall be invalid merely by reason of any vacancy or absence of a member in the Search-cum-Selection Committee.
(8)The term of office and other conditions of service of chairperson and members of the Tribunal shall be such as may be prescribed.
(9)The Tribunal shall formulate its own procedure for the conduct of its business including the timelines to be followed for the disposal of matters.
(10)All expenses incurred in connection with the Tribunal shall be defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

Summary

The Central Government will create a National Sports Tribunal made up of one chairperson and two members to resolve sports disputes quickly and cheaply.
The chairperson must be a current or former Supreme Court Judge or High Court Chief Justice.
The other two members must be respected public figures with deep knowledge of sports, public administration, and law.
They are chosen by the Central Government based on advice from a selection committee led by the Chief Justice of India (or a nominated judge), along with two government secretaries.
The Tribunal gets to make its own rules for how it works and sets its own deadlines for finishing cases.
All the Tribunal's costs are paid by the Central Government out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

Practical examples

1In early 2027, two athletes argue over who qualified for the national team. Instead of spending years in a regular court, they take the case to the newly formed 3-member National Sports Tribunal, which sets a tight timeline to decide the matter within weeks.

2The Central Government receives a recommendation panel from the Chief Justice's committee in August 2026 and appoints a retired High Court Chief Justice to lead the Tribunal by October 2026.

FAQ

1. How many people sit on the National Sports Tribunal?

The Tribunal consists of exactly three people, one chairperson and two other members.

2. Do they have to be lawyers to be on the Tribunal?

The chairperson must be a high-ranking judge. The other two members must have wide knowledge of law, sports, and public administration, but do not strictly need to be working lawyers.

3. Who pays for the Tribunal's operations?

All expenses are paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

4. What happens if one person on the selection committee is absent during a vote?

The law says no appointment is invalid just because there is a vacancy or an absence in the selection committee.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, what are the mandatory qualifications for the chairperson of the National Sports Tribunal?

Q2.Under Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, how many names must the Search-cum-Selection Committee recommend to the Central Government for each vacant post on the Tribunal?

Q3.Under Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, who sits on the Search-cum-Selection Committee that picks the Tribunal members?

Q4.Under Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, if the Secretary of the Department of Sports is sick and misses the meeting where the Tribunal chairperson is chosen, what happens to the appointment?

Q5.Under Section 17 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, what is the stated purpose for creating the National Sports Tribunal?

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