Section 18A

Section 18A provides the statutory basis for the Cyber Appellate Tribunal (CAT) — the specialised appellate forum for decisions made by Adjudicating Officers under the IT Act. The Adjudicating Officer framework under Sections 46-48 allows designated government officers to adjudicate claims for compensation up to ₹5 crore for contraventions of the IT Act — such as unauthorised access, data theft, and damage to computer systems. Any person aggrieved by an Adjudicating Officer's order may appeal to the Cyber Appellate Tribunal under Section 57. The Tribunal hears both questions of fact and law, unlike the High Court which hears only questions of law in its appellate jurisdiction under many statutes. Section 18A itself is remarkably brief — one sentence establishing the power to notify the Tribunal. The detailed provisions on the Tribunal's composition, qualifications, tenure, powers, and procedure are addressed in Sections 48-64. In practice, the Tribunal has faced significant institutional challenges including limited effectiveness and significant vacancies. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 proposes to replace the IT Act's adjudication framework with a new Data Protection Board — when operationalised, this will substantially alter the landscape Section 18A is part of.