The Armed Forces Tribunal: Jurisdiction and Procedure (2026)

How-to · Service Law · Tribunals

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) is the forum for the service disputes and court-martial appeals of personnel of the Army, Navy and Air Force. It was set up under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007, and it took over work that earlier went to the High Courts. It has two broad jobs: it decides service matters such as pay, pension, promotion and discharge under Section 14, and it hears appeals against court-martial findings and sentences under Section 15. This guide explains what it hears, how to approach it, and the onward appeal to the Supreme Court. Last verified October 2026.

01The problem: which forum for a service grievance

Before 2009, a soldier with a service grievance or a court-martial conviction went to the High Court by writ petition. That was slow, and the courts did not always have the service context. The AFT was created to give a specialised forum that understands military law and can move faster.

The practical question for a serving or retired member is simple: is this a service matter (Section 14) or a challenge to a court-martial (Section 15)? The answer decides the provision, the procedure, and even the Tribunal powers available, such as bail. Getting this right at the start saves a wasted filing.

02What the AFT hears

The AFT decides disputes and complaints of persons subject to the Army Act, 1950, the Navy Act, 1957, and the Air Force Act, 1950. Its work falls into two streams: service matters under Section 14, and appeals against court-martial decisions under Section 15.

There are limits. Certain matters are kept out of the AFT jurisdiction, such as some matters relating to transfers and postings, and summary court-martial matters in defined cases. The AFT also does not deal with purely civil disputes unconnected to service.

03Service matters under Section 14

Section 14 gives the AFT jurisdiction, powers and authority over service matters. An aggrieved person may make an application to the Tribunal in any service matter. These typically include disputes over pay and allowances, pension and disability pension, promotion and seniority, discharge and release, and disciplinary or administrative action short of court martial.

Before approaching the AFT, a member is usually expected to exhaust the internal remedies available under the service Acts, such as a statutory complaint. The application sets out the grievance, the relief sought, and the steps already taken within the service.

04Court-martial appeals under Section 15

Section 15 gives the AFT appellate power over the findings, sentences and orders of a court martial. An aggrieved person may appeal in the form, manner and time prescribed. The Tribunal exercises powers similar to those of a criminal appellate court under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

On a Section 15 appeal the AFT can, among other things:

• grant bail, with or without conditions, under Section 15(3);
• set aside a conviction where the finding is legally unsustainable, wrong in law, or marred by material irregularity causing a miscarriage of justice;
• substitute a finding of guilt for a lesser offence that the court martial could lawfully have found, and pass a fresh sentence.

The jurisdiction is to review an actual court-martial outcome. Where there is no order, finding or sentence by a court martial, an appeal under Section 15 does not lie.

05How to approach the AFT

The AFT sits as a Principal Bench in New Delhi, with regional benches in several cities. An application or appeal is filed at the bench that has jurisdiction over the applicant.

• Identify the provision. A service grievance goes under Section 14; a court-martial challenge goes under Section 15.
• Exhaust internal remedies. For service matters, pursue the statutory complaint or departmental remedy first where required.
• Prepare the application. Set out the facts, the grievance, the relief, and the documents relied on, in the prescribed form, verified by affidavit.
• File and serve. File with the registry, pay the fee, and serve the Union of India and the service authorities concerned.

06Appeal to the Supreme Court

From the AFT, an appeal lies to the Supreme Court, but it is tightly controlled. Section 30 gives a right of appeal against AFT orders, subject to Section 31. Section 31 allows an appeal to the Supreme Court with the leave of the Tribunal, and only where the case involves a point of law of general public importance, or where the Supreme Court considers the point ought to be decided by it.

Leave is discretionary and often refused. The Supreme Court has held that it will exercise this jurisdiction only on a point of law of general public importance, and the usual first step is to seek leave from the AFT under Section 31. For the wider picture, see appeals from tribunals to the Supreme Court.

07Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

A Section 14 service dispute or a Section 15 court-martial appeal often turns on how other AFT benches and the Supreme Court have read the same point, and it lives or dies on close attention to the next date. Claw suits both needs. You can track a live AFT matter, with its orders and hearings, across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, and search more than 30 crore judgments, from the Supreme Court since 1950 and the High Courts since 1990, by section, party or advocate, with results in under five seconds. So you can see how benches have applied Sections 14 and 15 and never miss a listing.

A free Claw account lets you follow your AFT matter by party or advocate name. Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models. To research the wider body of law, see case search across Indian courts.

08Sources and further reading

• India Code (Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007): indiacode.nic.in
• Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench: aftdelhi.nic.in
• Supreme Court of India: main.sci.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Jurisdiction, exclusions and procedure depend on your facts, so check the current Act and take advice from counsel before you act.

09Frequently asked questions