They can run mobile courts till next order
Executive magistrates can conduct mobile courts until the Supreme Court disposes of the appeals against the High Court verdict that had declared unconstitutional the rules under which they run the mobile courts.
The apex court yesterday extended its earlier order that stayed the HC verdict until disposal of the appeals.
The SC also allowed the government to move three separate appeals before it challenging the HC verdict and set February 13 for their hearings.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, who is performing functions of the chief justice, passed the order after granting three separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the HC verdict.
Following three separate writ petitions, the HC on May 11 last year declared unconstitutional the rules under which executive magistrates run the mobile courts.
Yesterday, the SC asked the government to submit concise statements of the appeals within next three weeks.
The writ petitioners have also been asked to submit their concise statements of the appeals in a week after the government does it.
A concise statement contains the points on which the lawyers place their arguments before the court.
Writ petitioners' lawyer Hassan MS Azim told The Daily Star that executive magistrates could run mobile courts until disposal of the appeals by the apex court following its yesterday's order.
The SC on January 9 said its stay order on the HC verdict would be valid until the three leave to appeal petitions filed by the government are disposed of.
After the HC verdict, the government challenged the judgement through the leave to appeal petitions.
The apex court then stayed the verdict, allowing executive magistrates to conduct mobile courts for the time being. Since then, the court has extended the stay order several times.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and barrister M Amir-Ul Islam appeared for the government.
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