India, Feb. 20 -- The Supreme Court has ruled that a foreigners tribunal, established for determining illegal immigrants, is "powerless" to review its own orders since the law does not permit it to act as an appellate authority over its own judgments. The decision, delivered by a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, came while setting aside an Assam foreigners tribunal order that reversed its own finding in a case concerning a woman declared to be an Indian citizen.

The ruling holds broader implications for cases adjudicated by foreigners tribunals (FTs), ensuring that once an individual has been declared an Indian citizen through due process, the state or the Centre cannot pursue repetitive litigation against them in the abse...