Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday appointed four eminent jurists as amicus curie for hearing their expert opinions on whether the life term imprisonment means 22 and a half years or the jail sentence until natural death of a convict.
The four amicus curiae are: Advocate A F Hassan Ariff, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, Advocate Abdur Rezak Khan and Advocate Monsurul Hoque Chowdhury.
The apex court requested them to place their expert opinions on the issue in this court on May 9.
A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order while hearing a petition filed by one Ataur Mridha alias Ataur.
He submitted the petition seeking a review of the Supreme Court judgment which, on February 2, 2014, ruled “life imprisonment means jail sentence until natural death.”
In his review petition, the petitioner said, as per relevant laws and according to another Supreme Court judgment, “a convict has to serve in jail for 22 and a half years if he is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Advocate Shishir Muhammad Monir appeared in the court on behalf of the review petitioner.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam prayed to the Supreme Court to settle review petition, “whether life imprisonment is jail sentence until death or its mean 22 and a half years in jail.”
