Building on the enormous respect judges command in India, the IPT identifies progressive judges who, after retirement, join the tribunal to:

• Deliver alternative judgements on crucial human rights issues that would act as models for serving judges to follow.
• Investigate and report on instances of gross human rights violations with a view to expose them and obtain relief for the victims.
• Unearth and review impartially the ground realities of each case taking into account the views of all the stake holders – including the affected individuals / communities, state and private actors.
• Promote the right to information for disadvantaged communities through an increase in community activism, awareness of legal rights, and participation in the decision-making process.
• Give a voice to the struggle of grass root organisations and affected communities and challenge the present system where the poor are left out of the justice system.
• Spur campaigns on issues relating to indigenous people, prisoners, women, children, workers, homeless people, positive people, the disabled, dalits, minorities and the destitute.
• Influence the making of policies and legislation relating to the rights of the poor.
• Provide a forum to create jurisprudence relating to the ‘rights of people’s’; an alternative dispute resolution mechanism as well as a basis on which future legal action can be initiated.
• Present an alternative vision of how a justice system should truly work.