The court can be described as the judiciary body set up by the government to adjudicate disputes between the competing parties through a formal legal process.
Tribunal is a quasi-judicial institution that is set up to deal with the problems such as resolving administrative or tax related disputes.
The points presented below explain the differences between tribunal and court:
- Tribunals mean the body of members who are elected to settle the controversies arising under certain special matters. On the other extreme court is understood as the judicial institution which is established by the constitution to administer justice, by legislation.
- The decision given by the tribunals on a particular matter is known as the award. As against this, the court’s decision is known as judgement, decree, conviction or acquittal.
- While tribunals are formed to deal with specific matters, courts deal with all types of cases.
- The tribunal can be a party to the dispute, whereas a court cannot be a party to the dispute. A court is impartial in the sense that it acts as an arbitrator between the defendant and prosecutor.
- The court is presided over by the judge, panel of judges, i.e. jury, or magistrate. Unlike, tribunals are headed by a chairman and other judicial members, elected by the appropriate authority.
- There is no code of procedure in a tribunal, but a court has a proper code of procedure, which must be followed strictly.