SCBA protests 16th amendment

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) today strongly protested the latest amendment to the constitution and demanded its immediate abolition.

The protest came a day after lawmakers unanimously passed the 16th amendment to the constitution empowering the parliament to impeach judges.

“This change has been brought to put the independence of the judiciary under threat,” alleged Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, president of the SCBA.

“The Awami League government has to answer to the people for this one day,” he said at a press briefing organised by the SCBA at its auditorium.

Mahbub Hossain alleged that the amendment was brought “illegally and immorally” to empower the parliament formed through a “voter-less January 5 election.”

“Even though distinguished experts, intellectuals and the media were against this amendment, the government has made the changes to control the judiciary,” he alleged.

Among others, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, secretary of the SCBA, also spoke at the press briefing, reports our correspondent.

According to the 16th amendment, the Supreme Judicial Council, that used to monitor affairs regarding misconduct of the judges, no longer exists.

The parliament has now been entitled to remove a judge on the basis of misconduct or incapacity, a provision that was included in the 1972 constitution before the fifth amendment.