FROM JATIYA SANGSAD: Ministers and members of the parliament blasted the Supreme Court verdict that declared their power to impeach judges as illegal and demanded for a review of the verdict.
Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Awami League lawmaker Professor Ali Ashraf, Independent MP Rustam Ali Farazi, BNF President SM Abul Kalam Azad and many others expressed their unhappiness and frustration regarding this issue while speaking in the Jatiya Sangsad on points of order on Sunday night (July 9).
At the end of this discussion, Speaker of the House Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said that more discussion will be held in this regard.
Rashed Khan Menon said, “The question of sovereignty has risen. We can’t simply deny things that our predecessors did. The 16th amendment is not contradictory with the constitution at all. So what is the purpose of this verdict? It is nothing but an attempt to bring the parliament under the will of the judges.”
He further said that it is a plot to differentiate between the legislative and judiciary branch of the government. If this verdict doesn’t reflect the will of people then it should be reviewed to cancel.
Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the judiciary branch holds a lot of power over two other branches- the legislative and executive. Judges might cross the limit sometimes because of that excessive power. That is why the ability to impeach judges was bestowed upon parliament in the 1972 constitution in order to balance power.
On July 03, a seven-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, delivered the verdict, declaring the 16th amendment illegal.
The 16th amendment had empowered Parliament to dismiss Supreme Court judges.
The “Constitution (16th Amendment) Bill-2014” was passed in the Parliament on September 17 in 2014.
So, the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) has finally lost the power of removing Supreme Court judges following the verdict of the apex court.
BDST: 0910 HRS, JULY 10, 2017
AP
