THE CYBER REGULATIONS APPELLATE
TRIBUNAL
Procedure and powers of the Cyber
Appellate Tribunal.—
(I) The Cyber Appellate Tribunal
shall not be bound by the procedure laid down by the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), but shall be guided by the principles
of natural justice and, subject to the other provisions of this
Act and of any rules, the Cyber Appellate Tribunal shall have powers
to regulate its own procedure including the place at which it shall
have its sittings.
(2) The Cyber Appellate Tribunal
shall have, for the purposes of discharging its functions under
this Act, the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), while trying a suit,
in respect of the following matters, namely:—
(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance
of any person and examining him on oath;
(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents or other
electronic records;
(c) receiving evidence on affidavits;
(d) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents;
(e) reviewing its decisions;
(f) dismissing an application for default or deciding it ex parte;
(g) any other matter which may be prescribed.
(3) Every proceeding before the
Cyber Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding
within the meaning of sections 193 and 228, and for the purposes
of section 196 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and the Cyber
Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes
of section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973 (2 of 1974).
Right to legal representation. —
The appellant may either appear
in person or authorise one or more legal practitioners or any of
its officers to present his or its case before the Cyber Appellate
Tribunal.
Limitation. —
The provisions of the Limitation
Act, 1963 (36 of 1963), shall, as far as may be, apply to an appeal
made to the Cyber Appellate Tribunal.
Civil court not to have jurisdiction.—
No court shall have jurisdiction
to entertain any suit or proceeding in respect of any matter which
an adjudicating officer appointed under this Act or the Cyber Appellate
Tribunal constituted under this Act is empowered by or under this
Act to determine and no injunction shall be granted by any court
or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken
in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Act.
Appeal to High Court. —
Any person aggrieved by any decision
or order of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal may file an appeal to the
High Court within sixty days from the date of communication of the
decision or order of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal to him on any
question of fact or law arising out of such order:
Provided that the High Court may,
if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient
cause from filing the appeal within the said period, allow it to
be filed within a further period not exceeding sixty days.
Controller or such other officer
as may be specially authorized by him in this behalf or by the adjudicating
officer, as the case may be, subject to such conditions as the Controller
or such other officer or the adjudicating officer may specify:
Provided that such sum shall not,
in any case, exceed the maximum amount of the penalty which may
be imposed under this Act for the contravention so compounded.
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall
apply to a person who commits the same or similar contravention
within a period of three years from the date on which the first
contravention, committed by him, was compounded.
Explanation—For the purposes
of this sub-section, any second or subsequent contravention committed
after the expiry of a period of three years from the date on which
the contravention was previously compounded shall be deemed to be
a first contravention.
(3) Where any contravention has been
compounded under sub-section (1), no proceeding or further proceeding,
as the case may be, shall be taken against the person guilty of
such contravention in respect of the contravention so compounded.
Recovery of penalty. —
A penalty imposed under this Act,
if it is not paid, shall be recovered as an arrear of land revenue
and the license or the Digital Signature Certificate, as the case
may be, shall be suspended till the penalty is paid.