Hyderabad: Telangana High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh stressed the need for timely and expert TDSAT dispute resolution in technically complex telecom, broadcasting, airport tariff and cyber cases.
Speaking at a seminar on dispute resolution mechanisms in these sectors, Justice Singh highlighted the growing importance of specialised institutions. He specifically referred to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and its role in handling specialised regulatory disputes.
Justice Singh said such cases required a careful balance between technical expertise, regulatory autonomy and judicial accountability. Moreover, he warned that delays in adjudication could undermine regulatory objectives. Such delays could also create uncertainty for businesses and consumers, he said.
TDSAT dispute resolution faces new technology challenges
Justice Singh also addressed emerging challenges involving cyber technologies and artificial intelligence. He said technology could assist the adjudication process. However, it could not replace judicial reasoning, accountability or human oversight.
The Chief Justice also supported mediation and consensual settlements as mechanisms for resolving disputes faster. His remarks focused on the need for specialised expertise as technological and regulatory disputes became increasingly complex.
Meanwhile, TDSAT Chairperson Justice D. N. Patel called for greater awareness about remedies available under the existing legal framework. He said regulators, policymakers and legal professionals needed better awareness of the dispute resolution mechanisms available to them.
Other stakeholders should also understand the appropriate forums for pursuing their claims, he added. Justice Patel explained the jurisdiction governing certain cyber-related civil claims under the Information Technology Act.
He said designated officers could adjudicate cyber-related civil compensation claims of up to Rs.5 crore. TDSAT served as the appellate forum in such matters, he said.
However, claims exceeding Rs.5 crore fell outside that jurisdiction. Competent civil courts dealt with such claims, Justice Patel explained. The seminar examined dispute resolution in sectors where regulatory questions often involved significant technical complexity.
Justice Singh stressed that specialised adjudication should remain timely while maintaining judicial accountability. At the same time, he cautioned against treating technology and artificial intelligence as substitutes for human judicial decision-making.
The seminar also highlighted mediation as an option for reducing delays and securing consensual settlements. Telangana High Court Bar Association President S. Surender Reddy attended the programme.
Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy and Telangana High Court Judge Justice P. Sam Koshy were also among those present. The discussions underlined the expanding importance of TDSAT dispute resolution as telecom, cyber and other regulated sectors faced increasingly complex disputes.