Muhith will be spared from contempt charges considering age, says lawyer Manzill Murshid

Minister AMA Muhith's remarks over the top court ruling declaring the 16th amendment illegal will not land him in the dock for contempt, says lawyer who challenged the parliament's move.

"He's an old man… tends to forget whatever he said that morning," said Manzill Murshid, who argued for the petitioners.

The amendment to Article 96 to the Constitution gave parliament the power to impeach Supreme Court judges by a two-third majority on grounds of incompetence and misconduct.

The High Court declared it illegal after nine Supreme Court lawyers challenged it, which was later upheld by the Appellate Division. The full verdict was published on Aug 1.

Advocate Manzill Murshid represented the nine Supreme Court lawyers, who challenged the 16th Amendment to the Constitution.

Speaking to the media in Sylhet on Friday, 83-year-old Muhith said that the House will pass the amendment 'again and again'.

“We will see how far the judiciary can go.”

“I believe the judiciary’s position is untenable. How can they supersede the representatives of the people? We appoint them," said the visibly angry finance minister.

Murshid, who head rights body Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, described the octogenarian minister's remarks as "anti-constitutional and anti-judiciary."

“You cannot just change it because you want to. No verdict has garnered such backlash in the 46 years of Supreme Court history, but there's no way out. If you accept the constitution, you must accept the verdict," he told the media in Sylhet on Saturday.  

Asked whether they would initiate legal steps, Murshid said they would spare Muhith considering his age. "If we call him to the dock he will say he doesn’t remember. So we will not charge him for contempt.”