World Trade                                                                                                                                                                             G/ADP/N/1/IND/2/Suppl.1*

                                                                                   G/SCM/N/1/IND/2/Suppl.1*

Organization                                              23 December 1996

                                                                                                                                           (96-2592)

 

                                                                                                        Original:  English

Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices

Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures

 

 

 

                                   NOTIFICATION OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS

                           UNDER ARTICLES 18.5 AND 32.6 OF THE AGREEMENTS

 

                                                                      INDIA

 

                                                                  Supplement

 

            The following communication, dated 17 December 1996, has been received from the Permanent Mission of India. 

 

                                                            _______________

 

 

            I am directed to refer to the discussion on Agenda Item A of the meeting of the Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices held on 21 October 1996 and to say that during the discussion on India's notification contained in the document referred to above, the delegate of India stated that what was notified in the aforesaid document was not the relevant provisions of the legislation to be notified, and that the relevant provisions of the legislation would be notified to the WTO shortly to rectify the error.

 

            Accordingly, I am forwarding herewith the relevant provisions of the legislation to be notified in replacement of the notification contained in the document cited above.

 


 

 

                                        THE CUSTOMS ACT, 1962

 

                                                 (No. 52 of 1962)

 

                                                                                                                        [13 December 1962]

 

                             An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to Customs.

 

            Be it enacted by Parliament in the thirteenth year of the Republic of India as follows:

 

 

                                                              ***************

 

          SECTION 129C.     Procedure of Appellate Tribunal

 

(1)        The powers and functions of the Appellate Tribunal may be exercised and discharged by Benches constituted by the President from amongst the members thereof.

 

(2)        Subject to the provisions contained in sub-sections (3) and (4), a Bench shall consist of one judicial member and one technical member.

 

(3)        Every appeal against a decision or order relating, among other things, to the determination of any question having a relation to the rate of duty of customs or to the value of goods for purposes of assessment, shall be heard by a Special Bench, constituted by the President, for hearing such appeals and such Bench shall consist of not less than two members and shall include at least one judicial member and one technical member.

 

(4)        The President or any other member of the Appellate Tribunal authorized in this behalf by the President may, sitting singly, dispose of any case which has been allotted to the Bench of which he is a member where:

 

(a)the value of the goods, confiscated without option having been given to the owner of the goods to pay a fine in lieu of confiscation under section 125;  or

 

(b)in any disputed case other than a case where the determination of any question having a relation to the rate of duty of customs or to the value of goods for purposes of assessment is in issue or is one of the points in issue, the difference in duty involved or the duty involved;  or

 

(c) the amount of fine or penalty involved does not exceed one lakh[1] rupees.

 

(5)        If the members of a Bench differ in opinion on any point, the point shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority, if there is a majority;  but if the members are equally divided, they shall state the point or points on which they differ and make a reference to the President who shall either hear the point or points himself or refer the case for hearing on such point or points by one or more of the other members of the Appellate Tribunal and such point or points shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority of those members of the Appellate Tribunal who have heard the case, including those who first heard it.

 

(6)        Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Appellate Tribunal shall have power to regulate its own procedure and the procedure of the Benches thereof in all matters arising out of the exercise of its powers or of the discharge of its functions, including the places at which the Benches shall hold their sittings.

 

(7)        The Appellate Tribunal shall, for the purpose of discharging its functions, have the same powers as are vested in a court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) when trying a suit in respect of the following matters, namely:

 

(a)discovery and inspection;

(b)enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

            (c)         compelling the production of books of account and other documents;  and

(d)issuing commissions.

 

(8)        Any proceeding before the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 and for the purpose of section 196 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for all the purposes of section 195 and Chapter XXVII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).

 



     *This document cancels and replaces G/ADP/N/1/IND/2/Suppl.1-G/SCM/N/1/IND/2/Suppl.1 dated 5 July 1996.

     [1]One hundred thousand.