The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) declined to accord traditional felicitation to the newly sworn-in six additional judges of the High Court division.

Shortly after the oath-taking ceremony, SCBA president Barrister Shafique Ahmed, who on protest refrained from attending the function, told the media that the transparency of the Supreme Judicial Commission (SJC), a newly-formed judges' recruitment body, was called in question through those appointments. "The executive authority has imposed its decision, making the SJC scapegoat."

He said three juniors to the incumbent Law Adviser's chamber-Delwar Hossain, Borhanuddin and Syeda Afsar Jahan Illa- were made additional judges and a judicial officer, suspended on charges of corruption and penitent district judge M Abdus Samad, was also inducted into the highest seat of the judiciary.

The SCBA president, an ex-officio member of the SJC, refused to take the burden of the appointments and demanded amendment to the SJC rules, where the Law Minister/Adviser submits to the Commission the panel of probable names of the additional judges for recommendation.

"The list of probable additional judges should be prepared by the SC judges along with senior lawyers, not by the executive authority," he said.

Besides, he suggested, the provision for recommending two names for each vacant post should also be repealed to put an end to "juggling with figures" by the executive authority.

He said after browsing the report ran in a vernacular daily on Sunday about the 'tainted' district judge Abdus Samad, the Bar leaders met Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin at his chamber before the oath-taking ceremony and informed him of the matter.

They requested him not to administer oath to the "controversial" person. But the CJ regretted, on grounds of his constitutional obligation.