Staff Reporter :
The government’s petition seeking review of the judgement of scrapping of the 16th constitutional amendment is a conspiracy against the judiciary, said leaders of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
They brought the claim at a press briefing held at the SCBA’s South Hall, a day after the petition for reviewing the judgement was filed with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s verdict on the 16th amendment that scrapped the parliament’s power to impeach judges for “incapacity or misconduct” is the most talked-about verdict of recent times.
In a written statement, President of the Bar Advocate Zainul Abedin said, “The government has taken a stand against the apex court by filing the petition.”
“We believe, seven judges of the Appellate Division gave the judgement. Among them, five judges are now in the Appellate Division. They will scrap the petition in line with their previous judgement. We all lawyers are keeping attention to the case. We will throw programme in the interest of the independent judiciary,” he said.
The two other judges who were involved with the verdict are now in retirement.
Then Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was the person who faced most of the heat from ruling lawmakers for delivering the verdict has resigned after the verdict.
“The Appellate Division’s judgement is not against any person or any alliance. Despite that, quarters of the government have forced Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to resign,” Zainul said.
The Bar president said it appears from the Attorney General’s statement that the government has forcefully sent Justice SK Sinha on retirement through a judicial coup for his judgement.
“The judges, who are delivering judgements against the interest of the government are not able to stay in the country. A Lower Court’s judge Motahar Hossain was forced to leave the country after delivering a judgement, which aggravated the government. Even the Chief Justice SK Sinha was forced to resign from abroad.”
“They (the government) are now hatching conspiracy to cancel the full judgement of the Appellate Division on the 16th amendment through filing the review petition,” he said.
Bar Secretary Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan said, “The post of Chief Justice is a Constitutional post. It cannot be kept vacant for a long time. There might be a conspiracy to file the review petition before appointing a Chief Justice.”
“Parliament’s power to impeach judges for incapacity or misconduct was handed over to the President through the fourth amendment of the Constitution at the regime of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. No one else has done this,” the Bar Secretary also said.
