The Central Government has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Rajesh Bindal as the Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The appointment addresses a leadership vacancy at the appellate tribunal that arose following the completion of the term of the previous Chairperson, Justice Ashok Bhushan.
Justice Bindal retired from the Supreme Court on April 15, 2026, after serving as a judge of the apex court since his elevation on February 13, 2023. Following Justice Bhushan's departure, the position of NCLAT Chairperson was held on an officiating basis by Justice Yogesh Khanna from July 2026 until the present appointment of a regular Chairperson.
What is the professional background of Justice Rajesh Bindal prior to his NCLAT appointment? ?
Justice Bindal was elevated as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2006. He was subsequently transferred to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court in 2018, where he served as Acting Chief Justice from December 2020. He was then appointed as a Judge of the Calcutta High Court in January 2021 and served as its Acting Chief Justice from April 2021. He took oath as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court on October 11, 2021, before his elevation to the Supreme Court in February 2023.
Prior to his appointment as NCLAT Chairperson, Justice Bindal was engaged in academic roles following his retirement from the Supreme Court. He was appointed as an Emeritus Professor at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and joined the Galgotias University School of Law as an Honorary Distinguished Jurist.
Position | Institution / Court | Period / Date |
|---|---|---|
Judge | Punjab and Haryana High Court | 2006 |
Judge / Acting Chief Justice | Jammu & Kashmir High Court | 2018 / December 2020 |
Judge / Acting Chief Justice | Calcutta High Court | January 2021 / April 2021 |
Chief Justice | Allahabad High Court | October 11, 2021 |
Judge | Supreme Court of India | February 13, 2023 - April 15, 2026 |
Emeritus Professor | National Forensic Sciences University | Post-retirement (2026) |
Honorary Distinguished Jurist | Galgotias University School of Law | Post-retirement (2026) |
Chairperson | National Company Law Appellate Tribunal | Current Appointment |
The appointment of a regular Chairperson is expected to restore full institutional stability to the appellate tribunal, which adjudicates appeals arising from orders of the National Company Law Tribunals (NCLTs) under the Companies Act, 2013, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The officiating arrangement under Justice Yogesh Khanna bridged the interregnum between the retirement of Justice Ashok Bhushan and the assumption of office by Justice Bindal. With a judicial career spanning over two decades across multiple High Courts and the Supreme Court, Justice Bindal brings extensive experience in constitutional, commercial, and corporate law to the appellate forum.