Direct answer
A statutory appeal from an ordinary final AFT order is subject to Sections 30–31. Leave and a point of law of general public importance are important requirements. It is not an unconditional ordinary appeal or a routine SLP.
Legal position and important distinctions
Section 30(1)’s ninety-day provision for a final decision or order operates subject to Section 31 and does not provide the same appeal for interlocutory orders. Section 31(2) specifies thirty days for seeking leave before the Tribunal and a separate thirty-day period after refusal for seeking leave from the Supreme Court. Read these together when calculating dates. Contempt orders have the separate sixty-day route in Section 30(2). Article 136(2) makes a routine direct SLP against the AFT an incorrect general prescription.
Choose the next proceeding from the actual decision
Read the signed order and determine whether it grants relief, directs reconsideration, dismisses a claim, gives interim directions or decides contempt. That distinction guides implementation, review, writ or statutory appeal. The heading or case-status entry alone may mislead. Preserve earlier pleadings and the material record.
Record separate dates and directions
Distinguish decision, copy receipt, communication, compliance deadline, leave request and refusal dates. Different remedies have different clocks. Obtain an actual judicial order for any claimed stay. Disclose previous challenges and pending proceedings: parallel proceedings seeking the same relief can raise maintainability issues.
Distinguish changing an order from enforcing it
Use the competent forum with the right relief, limitation explanation and respondents. Mere disagreement does not establish review or constitutional-interference grounds. Explain the admissibility of any new facts and why they were not previously presented.
Practical steps
- Classify the final, interlocutory or contempt order.
- Chart leave, refusal and appeal dates separately.
- Obtain timely assistance on Supreme Court requirements through an Advocate-on-Record.
Documents to collect
- AFT order and relevant record
- Leave application and refusal
- Date chart and certified documents
Hypothetical illustration
A dispute concerns an individual calculation. Describing every factual disagreement as a question of general public importance is insufficient.
Avoid this mistake
Do not overlook the thirty-day leave requirement after hearing only about ninety days.
Official sources
- Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007 — sections 2, 3(o), 14–15, 19, 21–24, 29–32
- Union of India v. Parashotam Dass, 2023 INSC 265, 21 March 2023 — paragraphs 24–28 and conclusions
Legal disclaimer
This article provides general legal information and the author’s general analysis, not individual legal advice. Reading it does not create an advocate–client relationship or guarantee an outcome. Rules, policies and judgments can change. Before acting, obtain qualified advice on your documents, applicable dates, jurisdiction and time limits.
Source check: 1 November 2026.