Law minister for empowering Parliament to sack SC judges

Law Minister Anisul Huq has advocated that Parliament be given back the power to impeach Supreme Court judges.

According to him, several countries have similar provision.

Huq said: "I do not think it would be something unrealistic or baseless if we empower our Parliament to do so."

The minister made the observation on Tuesday while speaking to reporters after a meeting with the US Ambassador-At-Large for the Office of Global Criminal Justice, Stephen Rapp.

In the 1972 Constitution, Article 96 allowed Parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for proven offences or incapability by the vote of a two-thirds majority.

However, military ruler Ziaur Rahman later cancelled it and bestowed the power to a Supreme Judicial Council through the Fifth Amendment.

Later, the High court called the Fifth Amendment illegal, yet the earlier article was not restored.

The issue of reviving Parliament’s authority came into focus after the Awami League took office in the last term.

In 2012, some MPs called for the removal of a High Court judge after a series of events centering the remark of the then Speaker Md Abdul Hamid, who is now President.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already stated that she is for it. The BNP, however, has strongly criticised the move.

Amendment in ICT law 'soon'

The law minister has said on Tuesday the draft of the amended International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) law will be tabled at a Cabinet meeting soon.

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He, however, did not disclose any details about the changes.

"You will find that, after changes, it (the law) will reflect the people's aspirations," the minister said to media queries.

Demands to try the Jamaat-e-Islami as an organisation that allegedly committed war crimes have already been raised by different quarters.

Huq claimed that the US has backed out from its previous stance over awarding death sentences to war crimes convicts.

"They said death penalty might be given, but wanted to know whether it was the only punishment.

"I told them the tribunal has given life in prison wherever it was applicable. It's the tribunal's jurisdiction.

"But the prosecutors always want the maximum punishment," the minister said referring to his meeting with US special envoy Rapp.

The meeting did not discuss amendment to the ICT law, added Huq.

"I do not think the matter needs to be discussed with him. He (Rapp) did not raise the issue either."

This is Rapp's fifth visit to Bangladesh and his first meeting with Law Minister Huq.

"There is a worldwide debate over death penalties.

"He asked about my opinion on it and I said that we do not think anything else other than death penalty as the appropriate punishment for the heinous crime of murdering freedom fighters and general people in 1971."