Telangana CJ Urges Balance Between Regulatory Autonomy and Judicial Review

Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh on Saturday stated that adjudicatory bodies must strike a balance between regulatory autonomy, specialised expertise, and judicial accountability, while ensuring that regulatory decisions do not escape effective judicial scrutiny and adjudication does not substitute regulation.

Speaking at a seminar organised in Hyderabad by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), titled ‘Mechanisms for resolution of disputes in airport tariffs, telecom, broadcasting and cyber sectors‘, the Chief Justice highlighted the vital role of effective, prompt, and specialised dispute resolution mechanisms in rapidly evolving industries.

Justice Singh emphasised that the timely disposal of disputes is of critical importance. He explained that prolonged litigation has the potential to undermine core regulatory objectives while creating persistent uncertainty for both industry players and consumers.

Touching upon the constitutional framework that governs tribunals, the Chief Justice underlined that specialised adjudication must always function within the framework of the rule of law. He noted that judicial review exercised by the high courts and the Supreme Court forms an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

Justice Singh observed that specialised tribunals are designed to complement the broader judicial system, but they remain subject to constitutional judicial scrutiny. During the address, the Chief Justice also drew attention to the emerging challenges arising within the cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) domains.