The Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002
Chapter IV Special
Courts
23. Special Courts.-
1. The
Central Government or a State Government may, by notification in the Official
Gazette, constitute one or more Special Courts for such area or areas, or for
such case or class or group of cases, as may be specified in the notification.
2. Where
a notification constituting a Special Court for any area or areas or for any
case or class or group of cases is issued by the Central Government under
sub-section (1), and a notification constituting a Special Court for the same
area or areas o for the same case or class or group of cases has also been
issued by the State Government under that sub-section, the Special Court
constituted by the Central Government, whether the notification constituting
such Court is issued before or after the issue of the notification constituting
the Special Court by the State Government, shall have, and the Special Court
constituted by the State Government shall not have, jurisdiction to try any
offence committed in that area or areas or, as the case may be, the case or
class or group of cases and all cases pending before any Special Court
constituted by the State Government shall stand transferred to the Special
Court constituted by the Central Government.
3. Where
any question arises as to the jurisdiction of any Special Court, it shall be
referred to the Central Government whose decision in the matter shall be final.
4. A
Special Court shall be presided over by a judge to be appointed by the Central
Government or, as the case may be, the State Government, with the concurrence
of the Chief Justice of the High Court.
5. The
Central Government or, as the case may be, the State Government may also
appoint, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the High Court,
additional judges to exercise jurisdiction of a Special Court.
6.
A
person shall not be qualified for appointment as a judge or an additional judge
of a Special Court unless he is, immediately before such appointment,
assessions judge or an additional sessions judge in any State.
7.
For
the removal of doubts, it is hereby provided that the attainment, by a person
appointed as a judge or an additional judge of a Special Court, of the age of
superannuation under the rules applicable to him in the service to which he
belongs, shall not affect his continuance as such judge or additional judge.
8.
Where
any additional judge or additional judges is or are appointed in a Special
Court, the judge of the Special Court may, from time to time, by general or
special order, in writing, provide for the distribution of business of the
Special Court among all judges including himself and the additional judge or
additional judges and also for the disposal of urgent business in the event of
his absence or the absence of any additional judge.