Bill on SC judges' hefty pay hike tabled in Parliament amid protests by MPs

A bill to nearly double the pay and perks of Supreme Court judges has been tabled in Parliament amid protests by opposition MPs over a High Court verdict declaring illegal legislators’ power to remove judges.

Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the Supreme Court Judges (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016 for passage during Thursday's session, marred by Jatiya Party lawmakers' racket and walkout.

The bill was then sent to the parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry for vetting.

The panel was asked to submit its report within three months.

MPs had begun talking about the HC order in an unscheduled discussion before the bill was placed in the House.

The 16th Amendment was passed on Sep 17, 2014, allowing Parliament to remove judges by a two-thirds majority on grounds of incapacity and misconduct.

In November that year, nine Supreme Court lawyers had filed a petition challenging the amendment. And after 17 hearings since then, the HC gave its verdict on Thursday.

At the beginning of the session, Jatiya Party lawmakers had criticised the HC order.

Law Minister Huq tried to assure them saying the verdict would be overturned if challenged in the Appellate Division. But as he moved to table the bill on judges' pay hike, the MPs created much ruckus.

JP MP Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu said, “If they (judges) can cancel a law passed by Parliament, then they can also raise their own salaries, allowances.”

He termed the HC verdict ‘insulting’ and added, “Let’s honour Parliament by postponing the bill until the cancellation of the verdict.”

The JP MPs, led by Leader of the Opposition Raushon Ershad, walked out when Huq proceeded to place the bill despite their objection.

The law minister had said amidst the commotion: “The judges can be inconsiderate. But Parliament is not. We won’t feel inferior whatever verdict they issue. We will show kindness.”

The aggrieved MPs, however, returned a few minutes after the bill was placed.

Salaries nearly doubled

As in case of the president, the prime minister, and government employees, the Supreme Court Judges (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill proposes a twofold increase in judges’ salaries and allowances.

It proposes to hike the salary of the chief justice from Tk 56,000 to Tk 110,000, expense sumptuary allowance from Tk 7,000 to Tk 12,000, and domestic aide allowance from Tk 1,625 to Tk 5,000.

It also proposes to raise the chief justice’s car allowance from Tk 15,000 to Tk 25,000, if he or she uses a private car before getting one from the government.

The allowance will rise from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 if he or she does not use a private car before getting a government car.

The bill proposes to raise salaries of Appellate Division judges to Tk 105,000 from Tk 53,100, expense sumptuary allowance from Tk 5,000 to Tk 8,000, domestic aide allowance from Tk 1,465 to Tk 4,500.

It also proposes a hike in their house allowance - until they are given government accommodation - from Tk 26,600 to Tk 50,600, and car allowance from Tk 15,000 to Tk 25,000.

The car allowance will be raised from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 if they don’t use any private before getting the government sanctioned car.

The bill proposes hiking the pay of High Court Division judges from Tk 49,000 to Tk 95,000, expense sumptuary allowance from Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000, domestic aide allowance from Tk 1,300 to Tk 4,000, residence allowance, until they get any government house, from Tk 26,600 to Tk 50,600.

It proposes to raise the car allowance from Tk 15,000 to Tk 25,000, if they use private car before getting the government sanctioned one. The amount will be raised from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 if they don’t use any private car until they receive the government car.

The bill added that all judges, including the chief justice, will get two festival allowances equal to their basic pay each year and 20 percent of the basic pay in another festival allowance for the Bengali New Year.