Jurisdictional Discipline: Supreme Court Restricts Dual Role of Rent Authority

In Rajesh Goyal v. M/s Laxmi Constructions & Ors. (2026 INSC 299), the Supreme Court has reaffirmed that adjudicatory authority under a special statute is strictly confined to the jurisdiction expressly conferred, holding that an authority functioning as a Rent Authority cannot simultaneously assume appellate or supervisory functions to unsettle findings rendered under a distinct statutory framework, and cautioning that such jurisdictional overreach undermines statutory design, procedural hierarchy, and judicial discipline, thereby reiterating that exercise of power must remain textually anchored and that conflation of roles—however expedient—cannot be sustained in law.