The Assam judicial department has said that members of the Foreigners Tribunals (FT) don’t need to pass “consequential orders/directions” while rendering an opinion.
The Assam Judiciary sent the communication after it was found that members of FT’s passed opinions in “randomly selected samples”.
FTs, which are quasi-judicial in nature and are unique to Assam, decide the fate of people suspected to be illegal immigrants. Foreigners’ Order, 1964, empowers FTs to only opine whether a person is a foreigner or an Indian citizen.
Assam deputy secretary of political department Parijat Bhuyan said. “In the performance assessment exercise carried out by the state judicial department on the basis of randomly selected samples of opinions rendered by members of foreigners tribunals, the judicial department has viewed with seriousness the passing of consequential directions/orders by members while rendering opinion.”
Bhuyan also mentioned that “noted that consequential order for deletion of names from voter list, arrest and detention of the declared foreigners, passed. This may not be necessary”. The judicial department also expressed that “noted that consequential order for deportation etc. of the declared foreigners, passed. This may not be the correct approach.”
Author: Nileswar Roy
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