The Rajya Sabha on May 5 approved the National Green Tribunal Bill, which envisages setting up courts to adjudicate cases related to environmental matters. The tribunal, with its headquarters in Bhopal, will have a mix of judges and technical experts. Activists and lawyers have criticized the criteria for choosing the experts saying the posts seem more like post-retirement options for bureaucrats. Unlike the earlier version of the bill where the tribunalÔÇÖs judgement was to be final, the bill allows petitioners to approach the Supreme Court to appeal the tribunalÔÇÖs ruling (see ÔÇÿAccess to justice curbedÔÇÖ, Down To Earth, September 1-15, 2009). The Lok Sabha had cleared the bill on April 30.
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