Case Search at the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)
How to check case status, cause lists, orders and appeal numbers at the Securities Appellate Tribunal, and where a SAT matter fits into a wider case tracking routine.
Tribunal Case Search · SAT
If you have an appeal pending before the Securities Appellate Tribunal, checking its status is not the same job as checking a status on the eCourts portal or the National Judicial Data Grid, because SAT is a specialised tribunal that runs its own separate case status tool. A wrong appeal number, an unfiled AL number, or a missed cause list entry can mean a missed hearing, and in SEBI, IRDAI or PFRDA matters that can mean a missed stay order or a lapsed interim relief. This page explains exactly how to search a SAT case, what the three lookup methods mean, and how to fold a SAT matter into a wider case tracking routine.
- Where to search: satweb.sat.gov.in/case-status, using Appeal Number, AL Number, or Party Name.
- Not on eCourts: SAT runs an independent portal, separate from the eCourts and NJDG network used by regular courts.
- Also check: the cause list for upcoming hearings and the orders section for stay and final orders.
- Tracking at scale: for firms with several SAT matters alongside other litigation, an automated case tracker reduces manual daily checks.
01What the Securities Appellate Tribunal is
The Securities Appellate Tribunal, usually called SAT, is a statutory tribunal set up under Section 15K of the SEBI Act, 1992. It hears appeals against orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and it has also been given appellate jurisdiction over orders of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
SAT sits mainly in Mumbai, at Nariman Point, and it is a single tribunal rather than a network of courts spread across states. That single-forum structure is exactly why its case search tool works differently from a district court or High Court search, and why practitioners who only know the eCourts style of search can get confused the first time they use it.
02Why SAT case tracking is different from a court case
Tracking a SAT appeal is harder than tracking a typical civil suit for three practical reasons.
SAT is not on the eCourts or NJDG network
District courts and most High Courts publish case status through the eCourts services portal and feed the National Judicial Data Grid. SAT is a tribunal under the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs framework, not a court under the eCourts system, so it runs its own independent case status tool at satweb.sat.gov.in. A search habit built around eCourts simply does not carry over.
The identifiers are tribunal-specific
SAT case status is not looked up only by a CNR number the way a High Court matter often is. It is looked up by an Appeal Number, an AL Number (the number given when an appeal is first lodged, before it is formally numbered), or by party name, and each of these has to be matched to the correct year and the correct appeal type: SEBI, IRDAI, or PFRDA. Getting any one of these wrong returns no result, not a helpful suggestion.
The stakes are often urgent
Many SAT appeals involve a request to stay a SEBI order, for example a trading ban, a market access restriction, or a monetary penalty. Missing a hearing date or an interim order because the case status was not checked in time can have an immediate market or business consequence for the client, which is different from the pace of an ordinary civil matter.
A single forum, not a state-by-state system
Unlike High Courts, where each state runs its own portal, SAT case status is checked in one place. That makes the actual search simpler once you know the three lookup methods, but it also means there is no fallback state portal to check if you get a detail wrong.
03How to search SAT case status
The official case status tool is at satweb.sat.gov.in/case-status. It offers three ways to look up a matter.
| Search method | What you need | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Appeal Number | Appeal No., appeal year, bench, and appeal type (SEBI / IRDAI / PFRDA) | Once the appeal has been formally numbered and registered |
| AL Number | AL No., year, and bench | For an appeal that has been lodged but not yet formally numbered |
| Party Name | Party name, year, and bench | When the exact appeal or AL number is not at hand |
Each search also requires a captcha before it returns a result. If a search returns nothing, the most common causes are: the wrong bench selected, the wrong appeal type (SEBI matters and IRDAI or PFRDA matters are tracked separately), or using an AL number after the appeal has already been formally numbered, in which case the appeal number should be used instead.
Practically, keep both the AL number and the appeal number on file for every SAT matter, since a matter can be searchable under one and not the other depending on its stage.
04Cause lists, orders and e-filing
Beyond the case status tool, the SAT website carries three other resources a practising advocate should know about.
- Cause list: the daily list of matters listed for hearing, published on the site. This is what tells you a matter is actually coming up, rather than just confirming its current status.
- Orders: a section for tribunal orders and judgments, which is where a stay order, interim order, or final order on an appeal is published once passed.
- E-filing: SAT supports electronic filing of appeals, along with an advocate registration facility, which is relevant when a new SEBI, IRDAI or PFRDA appeal is being lodged rather than tracked.
SAT runs its own case status tool outside the eCourts and NJDG network, so a search habit built around district courts and High Courts does not automatically carry over to a SAT matter.
05Tips for lawyers tracking SAT matters
A few habits reduce the chance of missing something on a SAT matter.
- Note the bench at the time of filing. While Mumbai is the principal bench, circuit benches are notified from time to time, and selecting the wrong bench in the search tool is a common reason a genuine appeal does not show up.
- Record both the AL number and appeal number as soon as each is available, so the case status tool can be queried correctly at any stage of the matter.
- Check the cause list, not only the case status page, since the case status result may not always reflect a hearing added at short notice the way a cause list entry does.
- Build a routine around this instead of manual daily checks. For firms handling more than a handful of tribunal matters, checking each case status page by hand every day does not scale. See our guide on how to monitor cause lists automatically for ways to reduce that manual load.
06When you need more than SAT
A SAT appeal rarely sits in isolation. The underlying SEBI, IRDAI or PFRDA matter may connect to proceedings in a High Court or the Supreme Court, or the client relationship may need a conflict check before the appeal is even taken on. A few related situations worth knowing about:
- If the same client or a related matter also needs to be tracked across regular courts, see our guide to case search across Indian courts.
- Before taking on a new SAT appeal, running a proper conflict check matters as much as it would for any other litigation matter. See how to perform conflict checks at an Indian law firm.
- If your team is looking at simple, low-cost case status tools generally, our roundup of IndiaCaseStatus alternatives compares options for tracking cases beyond a single tribunal.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
For SAT specifically, the tribunal’s own case status tool at satweb.sat.gov.in remains the authoritative source, and Claw’s AI-based judgement search today covers the 25 High Courts and the Supreme Court, not SAT filings directly. Where Claw is useful for a firm handling SEBI, IRDAI or PFRDA appeals is on the tracking side: Claw’s case management module covers 8,200-plus courts and tribunals across India, with auto case updates, calendar sync, and WhatsApp and email alerts, so a SAT matter can sit in the same tracker as a firm’s High Court and Supreme Court matters instead of being checked separately by hand. That matters most for firms that handle SAT appeals alongside a broader litigation docket and want one place to see what is due next, rather than a specialised tool built only for tribunal search.
08Frequently asked questions
How do I check my SAT case status online?
Go to satweb.sat.gov.in/case-status and search using the Appeal Number, the AL Number, or the party name, along with the correct year, bench, and appeal type (SEBI, IRDAI, or PFRDA). Complete the captcha to see the result.
What is the difference between an AL Number and an Appeal Number at SAT?
An AL Number is assigned when an appeal is first lodged, before it is formally registered. Once the appeal is formally numbered, it gets an Appeal Number. Keep both on file, since the case status tool may need either one depending on the stage of the matter.
Is SAT case status available on the eCourts portal?
No. SAT is a specialised tribunal, not a court under the eCourts system, so it is not covered by the eCourts services portal or the National Judicial Data Grid. It runs its own separate case status tool.
Where can I find the SAT cause list and orders?
Both are published on the official SAT website, satweb.sat.gov.in. The cause list shows matters listed for hearing on a given day, and the orders section carries interim and final orders passed by the tribunal.
Does Claw cover SAT in its case search?
Claw’s AI-based judgement search currently covers the 25 High Courts and the Supreme Court. For tracking a live SAT matter alongside other litigation, Claw’s case management module covers 8,200-plus courts and tribunals with auto updates and alerts.
Can I e-file an appeal with SAT?
Yes, SAT supports electronic filing of appeals along with an advocate registration facility on its official website, in addition to the separate case status, cause list, and orders sections.