Authorities must decide pending compassionate appointment claims by a reasoned, speaking order.

The applicant’s husband, a Postman in the Department of Posts, died on 24 July 2017.

She applied for compassionate appointment on 3 August 2018 and stated that, despite subsequent correspondence and submission of documents, her claim remained undecided.

She submitted a representation dated 17 June 2026 seeking appointment under the dying-in-harness scheme.

Before the Tribunal, her counsel sought disposal of the application with a direction to decide the pending representation and requested liberty to submit a fresh representation with supporting documents.

The respondents opposed the request and sought time for instructions.

Whether the Tribunal should direct the respondents to consider and decide the applicant’s pending representation and compassionate-appointment claim, without determining the merits of the claim.

Whether the applicant should be permitted to submit a fresh representation with a certified copy of the order and supporting documents.

The Tribunal directed that the applicant’s representation and pending claim be considered in accordance with the applicable rules and instructions, through a reasoned and speaking order.

It cited no particular statute, rule, or precedent and expressly left the merits of the compassionate-appointment claim open.

The applicant’s representation and compassionate-appointment claim remained pending, and her counsel sought a time-bound decision rather than adjudication of the claim’s merits.

The Tribunal therefore granted procedural relief, directing the competent authority to consider the pending claim under the applicable rules and instructions while making no finding on entitlement to appointment.

It also allowed the applicant to submit a fresh, supported representation.

The competent authority was directed to decide the pending representation and claim by a reasoned and speaking order.

If the applicant submitted a fresh representation with the certified order and supporting material within 15 days of receiving the certified copy, the authority was to decide it within three months of receipt and communicate its order forthwith.

No costs were awarded.

Any associated miscellaneous applications were also disposed of.