SC accepts govt action report

The Supreme Court yesterday accepted a government report on its action of fixing a new pay scale for the lower court judges.
The finance ministry on June 2 issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) on the new pay scale that set Tk 40,000 as the highest monthly salary for a senior district and session judge or an equivalent judicial officer on completion of five years of service.
According to the SRO, the new pay scale will take retroactive effect from July 1, 2009, and the lower court judges can receive their due salaries as arrears until May 8, 2013, but other benefits beside salaries will not be applicable in this regard.
The highest of the new six-level salary structure has now risen from Tk 35,600 to Tk 39,600.
The second level has increased from Tk 33,750 to Tk 37,000.
In the third salary level, the pay has gone up to Tk 37,000 from Tk 31,250. The fourth level is from Tk 29,700 to Tk 34,200, the fifth level is now Tk 29,200 from the former Tk 26,200, and sixth level is Tk 25,600 from Tk 20,370.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday placed the report along with the SRO before the Appellate Division of Supreme Court, saying that the government had announced the new pay scale for judicial officers as per its April 25 order.
He submitted the report during hearing the Masdar Hossain Case popularly known as separation of judiciary case.
The attorney general also said the government was taking steps to amend the Bangladesh Judicial Service (formation of service, appointment and suspension to service post, dismissal and removal) Rules, 2007, as per the apex court's previous order.
The nine-member Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain fixed July 11 for passing an order on the issue.