High-Profile Magistrate Appointed to Head Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal

Magistrate Vidya Mungroo-Jugurnath has been appointed President of the Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (PBAT), the Presidency confirmed on Monday, 11th August.

Her appointment was made by President Dharambeer Gokhool following consultations with both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, as required under section 91A (5) of the Constitution.

Joining her on the tribunal are Benjamin Mathieu Marie Joseph and Ashis Kumar Hoolass, who have each been named members for a three-year term.

Mungroo-Jugurnath is a well-known figure in Mauritius’s legal circles, notably for presiding over the judicial inquiry into the death of political activist Soopramanien Kistnen.

She was also transferred to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2023.

The PBAT operates as a quasi-judicial body composed of a president—who must be a qualified legal practitioner with at least ten years’ experience—and two members drawn from either legal or public administration backgrounds.

Its core mandate is to hear appeals from public officers challenging decisions made by the Public Service Commission (PSC) or the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC).

However, the tribunal only considers final decisions that do not result directly from Prime Ministerial recommendations or public recruitment processes.

While the tribunal’s procedures are tailored to its administrative nature, they uphold the principles of natural justice.

Hearings are typically held in confidence, in line with the body’s default confidentiality provisions.

Source: Le Mauricien