📱Test our Android app — free beta!Join Beta GroupYou'll receive the install link by email after joining.

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.


—faqs:cic-review-reconsider-order [2026/07/22 17:47] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
Line 1: Line 1:
 +{{htmlmetatags>metatitle=Can CIC review or reconsider its own RTI orders? Citizen guide 2026
 +metadescription=CIC cannot review its own orders on merit. If you disagree with a CIC order, your remedy is a High Court writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution.
 +metakeywords=cic review order, cic reconsider decision rti, challenge cic order high court, rti cic order review}}
 +
 +====== Can CIC review or reconsider its RTI orders? ======
 +
 +
 +
 +{{ :social:auto:faqs-cic-review-reconsider-order.png?direct&1200 |Can CIC review or reconsider its RTI orders? — RTI Wiki}}
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Quick Reply:** Can CIC review or reconsider its RTI orders?
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<WRAP center round tip 100%>
 +**Direct answer:** No. The Central Information Commission does not have the power to review or reconsider its own orders on merit (RTI Act 2005, §19). If you disagree with a CIC order, your only remedy is to challenge it in a High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +Many appellants receive a CIC order they feel is wrong — perhaps the Commissioner relied on incorrect facts or misread a document — and immediately write back to CIC asking for a review. This wastes time. The CIC cannot help. The RTI Act does not give it review powers. Understanding this is critical before spending months on a futile request.
 +
 +===== What the official portal says =====
 +
 +> "No." — [[https://cic.gov.in/faqs|CIC FAQ Q35]] (on whether CIC has power to reconsider or review its orders on merit)
 +
 +===== Why CIC cannot review itself =====
 +
 +The RTI Act 2005 is silent on CIC review powers. Courts have consistently interpreted this silence to mean that CIC, like other statutory tribunals, cannot act as a court of appeal over its own decisions. The principle is functus officio — once a decision is made and the case is disposed, the decision-maker's authority over that matter ends.
 +
 +CIC can issue clarificatory orders on questions of implementation (e.g., what specific documents to provide), but it cannot reopen the merits of a decided case.
 +
 +===== How CIC orders are implemented and conveyed =====
 +
 +CIC issues formal written orders free of cost to all parties (CIC FAQ Q37). Orders are also uploaded on the CIC website. If a CPIO does not comply with a CIC order, the appellant can write to CIC requesting compliance proceedings — this is implementation, not review.
 +
 +===== What to do if you disagree with a CIC order =====
 +
 +  - **Read the order carefully**: identify the specific legal or factual error you believe was made.
 +  - **Consult a lawyer**: a writ petition under Article 226 at the appropriate High Court (typically Delhi High Court for Central Government matters) is the formal remedy. This involves court fees and legal complexity.
 +  - **Check for compliance route**: if the order was in your favour but the CPIO is not complying, write to CIC for implementation/compliance action — this is different from challenging the order's merits.
 +  - **File a fresh RTI if facts change**: if new information becomes available (e.g., a new document was created, the public authority's function changed), a fresh RTI application is perfectly valid.
 +
 +===== FAQ =====
 +
 +==== Can I write to CIC to "correct" a factual error in the order? ====
 +For clerical or typographical errors, CIC can issue a corrigendum. For substantive factual errors affecting the decision, you need to approach the High Court.
 +
 +==== Does CIC upload all its orders publicly? ====
 +Yes. CIC orders are uploaded on [[https://cic.gov.in|cic.gov.in]] and can be searched. They also serve as precedents for similar future cases.
 +
 +==== What if the CPIO ignores a CIC order in my favour? ====
 +Write to CIC's Compliance/Implementation section citing your case number and requesting action against the non-compliant public authority. CIC can initiate contempt-equivalent proceedings and impose further penalties.
 +
 +==== Are CIC orders binding on the public authority? ====
 +Yes. RTI Act 2005, §19(7) makes CIC orders binding. Non-compliance can lead to penalties and disciplinary recommendations.
 +
 +===== Related tools and pages =====
 +
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/faqs/rti-complaint-vs-second-appeal-cic|Complaint vs Second Appeal — filing the right case]]
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/faqs/cic-second-appeal-90-days-condonation|CIC 90-day limit and condonation]]
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/faqs/cic-start|All CIC FAQs index]]
 +  * [[https://cic.gov.in|Central Information Commission — case status and orders]]
 +
 +{{tag>rti cic review reconsider orders}}