The High Court will pass its order on May 5 on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the much-talked-about 16th constitution amendment establishing Parliament’s power to remove the Supreme Court judges.
A three-member special HC bench, headed by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, fixed the date on Thursday on completion of the hearing.
The two other judges of the bench are Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal.
Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state during the hearing on Thursday. Meanwhile, four eminent lawyers – Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud and Barrister Ajmalul Hossain QC made their depositions as amici curiae.
Nine Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ petition with the High Court on November 5, 2014, praying to consider the 16th constitution amendment as illegal and unconstitutional. After primary hearing, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued a rule asking the government to explain why the amendment should not be declared illegal and contrary to the constitution, and cancelled.
The hearing on the rule began on May 21 last year.
On September 17, 2014, Parliament passed the ‘Constitution (16th Amendment) Bill, 2014’ without any opposition, empowering Parliament to remove the Supreme Court judges for their incapacity and misconduct.
