Raise 30pc salary by May 16: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the government to raise 30 percent pay scale to the lower court judges by May 16.

It also ordered the government to provide selection grade to the district judges, who have already completed five years in their posts, by the period.

The Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain passed the order after rejecting a government petition seeking time for formulating a law regarding rising the salary of lower court judges.

Earlier on April 21 and 22, the apex court heard argument from six senior lawyers on the government petition.

The senior lawyers are: Dr Kamal Hossain, TH Khan, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Rafique-ul Huq, AF Hasan Ariff and Tawfique Newaz.

Most of them argued that the government does not need to formulate a law regarding the salary and allowance of lower court judges since the Supreme Court has earlier directed the government to hike their salaries.

The government on April 16 submitted the petition seeking time from the apex court to implement its order for hiking salaries of lower court judges.

However, the government, in the petition, said it was planning to formulate a law in this regard.

On March 14, the SC had directed the government to increase the pay scale of the judicial officials by 30 percent, instead of the 20 percent proposed by the government, by April 15.

It passed the order during the hearing on the Masdar Hossain Case, popularly known as the judiciary separation case.