'Consisting of both judicial and administrative members, it is in a position to dispense justice by combining legal knowledge with a complete input of the ground realities in which the Armed Forces operate,' she said.

The tribunal will also act as the appellate forum for the armed forces personnel against court martial rulings.

The tribunal will act as a civil court while adjudicating in service matters and as a criminal court when hearing appeals against court martial.

The tribunal's chairperson will be a retired or serving judge of the Supreme Court or chief justice of a high court.

Justice A.K. Mathur, former judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed the tribunal's first chairperson and he assumed charge Sep 1, 2008.

The judicial members of the tribunal will be serving or retired judge of a high court while the administrative members would be officers of the rank of major general or equivalent in either of the three services or an officer not lower than the rank of a brigadier or equivalent who has rendered not less than one year of service as the judge advocate general of the army, navy or air force.

The government has already appointed eight judicial members and 15 administrative members, while seven judicial members are yet to be named.