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Administrative authorities can review their decisions: SC

New Delhi, October 25
Administrative authorities, like judiciary which has the power to review its decisions, can also have a re-look and undo earlier "wrong and illegal" orders, the SC has ruled.

"If wrong and illegal acts, applying the ...parameters of judicial review can be set aside by the courts, obviously the same mischief can be undone by the administrative authorities themselves by reviewing such an order if found to be ultra vires.

"Of course, it is to be done after following the principles of natural justice," a bench comprising justices SJ Mukhopadhaya and AK Sikri said, adding such reviews are permissible to rectify "irrational and unreasonable" decisions.

The court's observation came in the judgment by which it disposed of a batch of appeals of policemen filed against the common verdict of the Punjab and Haryana HC.

The HC had upheld the decision of the DGP, Haryana, who reviewed the decisions of his predecessor to expunge adverse remarks from the ACRs of some policemen during the period of 1999-2002 that too after substantial lapse of time and without any "valid reasons". — PTI