Suman, Ishrat challenge contempt of court ruling
Two Supreme Court lawyers yesterday filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the SC, challenging the contempt of court rule issued by the HC against them for allegedly posting derogatory comments about the judiciary on Facebook.
Syed Sayedul Haque Suman and Ishrat Hasan submitted the petition through their lawyer Aneek R Haque, also seeking a stay on a High Court verdict that upheld the Bangladesh Bar Council decision allowing a Jumman Siddique to practise law in court although he failed the enrolment test.
The petitioners sought a stay on the HC order that summoned them to appear before it in person on November 16 to place their explanations on this issue and imposed a cost of Tk 100 on each of them.
Lawyer Aneek R Haque told The Daily Star that the apex court chamber judge may hold hearing on the stay petition today.
On November 8, the HC issued a contempt of court rule against Sayedul and Ishrat, where it asked them to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for their Facebook comments.
The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the rule and summons order.
During hearing on the writ petition on November 8, Jumman Siddique's lawyer Tania Amir brought the Facebook comments made by Sayedul and Ishrat before the HC bench and prayed for necessary order.
Following the same writ petition, another High Court bench on December 18 last year stayed the effectiveness of the Bar Council notification that allowed Jumman to practice law although he failed in the enrolment test.
The bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton also issued a rule asking the Bangladesh Bar Council and government to explain why the publication of the gazette notification should not be declared illegal.
According to the petition, Jumman failed to secure pass marks in the Bangladesh Bar Council examination. But on October 31 last year, a gazette notification was issued allowing him to practise law for the HC.
On November 8, the HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Mohammad Ullah rejected the writ petition and upheld the Bar Council's gazette notification.
The HC said in the verdict that Jumman has foreign degree and has experience of practising law at foreign courts and therefore, he can practise at courts concerned in Bangladesh as per relevant law.
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