The Armed Forces Tribunal, commonly referred to as the AFT, is a specialised judicial forum dealing with service matters and appeals arising from court martial proceedings concerning members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The AFT plays an important role in the enforcement of legal rights of serving personnel, retired personnel, veterans, widows, dependants, and other eligible claimants. It deals with disputes where military service law, pension law, administrative law, and constitutional principles intersect.
The Armed Forces Tribunal commonly deals with:
Disability pension claims.
War injury pension claims.
Service pension disputes.
Invalid pension disputes.
Family pension claims.
Promotion and empanelment disputes.
Selection board grievances.
ACR, APAR and confidential report challenges.
Disciplinary matters.
Court martial appeals.
Discharge and dismissal matters.
Pay and allowance disputes.
Terminal benefits.
Leave encashment and gratuity issues.
Non-speaking and arbitrary administrative orders.
AFT litigation is not ordinary service litigation. It requires understanding of military hierarchy, service records, medical boards, confidential reports, disciplinary rules, pension regulations, and principles of natural justice.
A properly drafted AFT matter must usually address:
Jurisdiction.
Limitation.
Facts and service chronology.
Impugned orders.
Relevant rules and regulations.
Grounds of challenge.
Relief claimed.
Interim relief, if required.
Documents relied upon.
Legal precedents.
Many AFT matters arise because authorities pass cryptic, mechanical, or non-speaking orders. A rejection order affecting pension, promotion, service benefits, or reputation should disclose reasons. Administrative discretion is not a blank cheque.
Where an order affects civil consequences, the requirement of fairness, reasoned decision-making, and non-arbitrariness becomes important.