Speedy justice: CBEC to not file review, SLPs in certain Court orders

In a bid to reduce and fast track litigations, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has now decided not to file review petitions and special leave petitions against a number of orders of the Supreme Court, High Court and appellate tribunals.

To this effect, the CBEC has compiled a circular of 63 orders that it has accepted. In 14 of these, High Courts have decided various questions of law. In the remaining orders, the High Courts have delivered judgments on the basis of some settled case law or have decided points of facts or have dismissed the appeal on monetary grounds.

“The orders which have been accepted by the CBEC have been compiled in the circular so that cases pending in the field can be expeditiously decided, if the questions of law or facts involved are identical,” said the Finance Ministry on Friday, adding that this will help reduce litigations so that cases on similar questions of law or identical case on facts pending in the field can be expeditiously decided. Tax authorities have for long been trying to cut down on the number of litigations they are involved in.

The issue was also discussed in the Economic Survey 2017 which had said that delays and pending economic cases in in the Supreme Court, Economic Tribunals and Tax Department are taking severe toll on the economy, in terms of stalled projects, and mounting legal costs.