Former Supreme Court Judge Rajesh Bindal appointed as NCLAT Chairperson

Former Supreme Court Judge Rajesh Bindal has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). According to a report by Bar and Bench, the appointment was made on Thursday. This appointment comes at a time when former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ashok Bhushan had completed his tenure as Chairperson of the NCLAT on 4 July, 2026.

Justice Rajesh Bindal retired from the Supreme Court on 15 April this year. He served in the country's apex court for more than three years. Prior to this appointment, following the retirement of Justice Bhushan, the Judicial Member of the Tribunal, Justice Yogesh Khanna, had been holding charge as Acting Chairperson since 5 July. Subsequently, the Central Government had extended his tenure in the month of October.

This appointment has been made at a time when the Supreme Court is conducting a close scrutiny of the functioning of the NCLAT. Last week, the Supreme Court expressed serious concerns regarding the control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs over the tribunals. CJI Surya Kant remarked that the Ministry has "completely hijacked" these institutions.

A bench comprising CJI Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana had demanded complete autonomy in the appointments of the heads of NCLT and NCLAT. As an interim measure, the bench suggested deputation, and subsequently advised phased regular recruitment through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or the Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

During the hearing of a petition filed by contract-based employees working in NCLT and NCLAT, the CJI orally stated, "I know how contractors play their moves. They do not care about judicial or technical members. Complete autonomy should lie with the heads. They can take the help of UPSC/SSC. The tribunal has been completely hijacked by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. This matter is affecting the autonomy of the institution. That is the main problem. The Ministry wants to maintain complete control; it is extremely unfortunate."

Speaking of Justice Rajesh Bindal's background, prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court in February 2023, he had served as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.