SCBA demand of separate secretariat for judiciary unrealistic: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq today ruled out the demand of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary.

Establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary in the perspective of Bangladesh is an unrealistic idea, the minister said.

He was talking to reporters at an inaugural programme of a training programme for the district and second judges at the judicial Administrative Training Institute in Dhaka.

On January 4, the SCBA, which is currently dominated by pro-BNP lawyers, demanded that the government amend the disciplinary rules for lower court judges for incorporating a provision for setting up an independent secretariat for the judiciary.

The law minister said there is no separate secretariat for judiciary in any democratic and undemocratic countries in the world.

Replying to a question he said the government has issued the gazette notification on the disciplinary rules for lower court judges maintaining legal procedures.

Replying to another query on the 16th amendment verdict, Anisul Huq said the government wants the Supreme Court to hear and dispose of the review petition against its verdict so that the issue is resolved quickly. 

On December 11, the government issued the gazette notification on the discipline of lower court judges, keeping the president’s authority over their conduct.

The government on 28 occasions since May 2015 taken time from the SC for issuing the gazette notification.