Center Appoints Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma Of Delhi HC As Presiding Officer Of UAPA Tribunal For PFI Ban

The Ministry of Law & Justice has appointed Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma of the Delhi High Court, as nominated by the Cheif Justice of the High Court, as the presiding officer of the UAPA Tribunal in the matter of the ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliate organisations.

The Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry on Monday mentions that the President is pleased to request Justice Sharma to act as the Presiding Officer of the Tribunal. 

The Ministry has also clarified in the Memorandum that the time spent by Justice Sharma in the performance of the functions in the Tribunal will be counted as actual service as a Judge of the High Court. It also says that the Judge will not be entitled to any extra remuneration except travelling allowance and daily allowance as per the relevant rules applicable to High Court judges.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma joined the Delhi Judicial Service in 1992 and was promoted to Delhi Higher Judicial Service in 2003. During his judicial career, besides presiding over courts of various jurisdictions, he has worked as Secretary, Delhi High Court Legal Service Committee; Director (Academics) Delhi Judicial Academy; Registrar (Vigilance); Registrar General of Delhi High Court; and Principal District & Sessions Judge, New Delhi.

He is a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and has worked as a Mediator and Mediation Trainer with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India. He took oath as Judge, High Court of Delhi on February 28, 2022. He has been associated with the Vulnerable Witness Deposition Complex program, drafting of the Vulnerable Witness Guidelines of the Delhi High Court and the training of the stakeholders in the Vulnerable Witness training programs organized by the High Court since its inception in 2010.

Central Government had on September 27, issued a notification declaring the PFI and eight of its affiliate organisations as "unlawful association" under section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).

The Center had in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said UAPA, made the declaration with immediate effect. Hence, though the declaration is already in effect, it still requires confirmation by the Tribunal constituted under Section 5 of UAPA. The Tribunal has to decide whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the organisations to be unlawful, within a period of six months.