Telangana HC Chief Justice bats for specialised dispute resolution in telecom, cyber sectors
Telangana High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh on Saturday emphasised the need for effective, timely and specialised mechanisms for resolution of disputes arising in the rapidly evolving sectors of telecom, broadcasting, airport tariffs and cyber technologies.
Addressing a seminar on "Mechanisms for Resolution of Disputes in Airport Tariffs, Telecom, Broadcasting and Cyber Sectors", Justice Singh highlighted the growing importance of specialised adjudicatory institutions in dealing with technically complex regulatory disputes, an official release said.
"Telecom, broadcasting, digital platforms, cyber systems and emerging technologies increasingly operate within the same ecosystem. This convergence calls for a corresponding evolution in legal understanding and adjudicatory approaches," he said.
In this context, the role of TDSAT assumes particular significance, he said. Its evolution from a tribunal concerned primarily with telecom disputes into a multi-sector adjudicatory institution dealing with broadcasting and cable services, airport tariffs and cyber matters reflects the changing landscape of technology and regulation, Justice Singh said.
He said the emphasis placed by TDSAT on mediation and other consensual mechanisms of dispute resolution is encouraging.
He further said perhaps nowhere is the challenge of evolving technology more apparent than in the field of cyber law and artificial intelligence.
"For the justice system in particular, one principle must remain non-negotiable, technology may assist legal reasoning, but it cannot replace judicial reasoning. This requires careful verification, professional responsibility and meaningful human oversight," he said.
Justice Singh said the real value of specialised adjudication, however, lies not merely in the existence of a specialised forum, but in the quality and effectiveness of the dispute-resolution process.
In sectors where technology and commerce move rapidly, delayed adjudication can itself become a source of uncertainty and, at times, may defeat the very purpose of regulation, he said.
"The challenge is therefore to combine domain expertise with judicial discipline to ensure that proceedings are sufficiently responsive to technical complexity, yet sufficiently rigorous to protect natural justice, transparency and reasoned decision-making," he said.
In his opening remarks, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) Chairperson Justice D N Patel, highlighted the Tribunal’s role in providing specialised and time-bound dispute resolution across the telecom, broadcasting, airport tariff and cyber sectors.
He said that TDSAT’s jurisdiction has evolved alongside technological and regulatory developments, including its appellate jurisdiction in cyber matters and its role in airport tariff disputes.
He stressed the need for greater awareness among policymakers, regulators, industry, legal professionals and other stakeholders about available dispute-resolution mechanisms, the release added.
