Central Excise Act, 1944
32A. JURISDICTION AND POWERS OF SETTLEMENT
COMMISSION.-
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, the
jurisdiction, powers and authority of the Settlement Commission may be
exercised by Benches thereof.
(2) Subject to the other provisions of this section, a Bench
shall be presided over by the Chairman or a Vice-Chairman and shall consist of
two other Members.
(3) The Bench for which the Chairman is the presiding officer
shall be the principal Bench and other Benches shall be known as additional
Benches.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) and
sub-section (2), the Chairman may authorize the Vice-Chairman or other Member
appointed to one Bench to discharge also the functions of the Vice-Chairman or,
as the case may be, other Member of another Bench.
(5) The principal Bench shall sit at Delhi and the Central
Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish additional
Benches at such places as it considers necessary.
(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing
provisions of this section, and subject to any rules that may be made in this
behalf, when one of the persons constituting a Bench (whether such person be
the presiding officer. or other Member of the Bench) is unable to discharge his
functions owing to absence, illness or any other cause or in the event of the
occurrence of any vacancy either in the office of the presiding officer or in
the office of one or the other Members of the Bench, the remaining Members may
function as the Bench and if the presiding officer of the Bench is not one of
the remaining Members, the senior among the remaining Members shall act as the
presiding officer of the Bench :
Provided that if at any stage of the hearing of any
such case or matter, it appears to the presiding officer that the case or
matter is of such a nature that it ought to be heard of by a Bench consisting
of three Members, the case or matter may be referred by the presiding officer
of such Bench to the Chairman for transfer to such Bench as the Chairman may
deem fit.
(7) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing
provisions of this section, the Chairman may, for the disposal of any
particular case, constitute a special Bench consisting of more than three
Members.
(8) Subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, the special
Bench shall sit at a place to be fixed by the Chairman. 94 ]