Judges' services rules with president, says law minister

The services rule for lower court judge is with the president and the gazette notification will be published as soon as his approval is received, says Law Minister Anisul Huq.

His statement came while speaking to the media after an event at a Dhaka Hotel on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court extended the deadline to publish the gazette by another week.
 
“I do not believe any tension has developed between the judiciary and the executive branch,” he said. “I believe both parties agreed that it is standard to have conduct rules. We have made an effort to include their opinions and efficiently address their concerns.”
 
“The president wanted to see the rules and currently has them. He will send it to us the moment he is finished going through it and then we will take the other necessary steps.”
 
The government has failed to meet several deadlines to issue the gazette notification which would amend the rules for lower court judges in keeping with the historic verdict of the Masdar Hossain case which led to the separation of the judiciary from the executive branch.
 
On Dec 8 last year, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division had summoned two secretaries of the law ministry over the repeated failure

On Dec 11, a notice posted on the law ministry’s website said the president had instructed the ministry not to issue the gazette, claiming it was unnecessary.
 
When Secretary Sheikh Md Zahrul Hoque of the Law and Justice Division and Secretary Md Shahidul Haque of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division appeared before the court the next day, they were told by the chief justice that “the president was misinformed” about the gazette.
 
The Supreme Court then gave Attorney General Mahbubey Alam several deadlines, none of which the government was able to meet.
  On Tuesday, however, the government received another week to issue the gazette.
 
Asked about the pleas for clemency by HuJi militant and death row convict Mufti Hannan and his two accomplices, the law minister said his ministry had received the petitions.
 
“Copies of the verdict will be sent to the president. The president will then carry out his duty. The president always considers these matters deeply. Once he makes his decision the matter will proceed according to the jail code," said Huq.