SC silent about progress in probes against 3 HC judges

The Supreme Court keeps mum about progress in inquiries into alleged misconduct of three High Court judges since they were given no court from August 22.

The lawyers and a retired HC judge demanded that the SC should make public why the judges were not assigned courts and what procedures were followed in holding the inquiries against them.

They said that there was no justification to keep the nation in the dark about what the whole issue.

SC spokesman Saifur Rahman in a statement said that the three High Court Division judges took leave from August 22 after the  chief justice allocated no courts to them.

According to the statement, the decision to withdraw judicial powers of the three judges was taken in consultation with the president after primary inquiries against them.

After the judges were informed that their judicial powers had been withdrawn, they applied for leave,’ Saifur said while delivering the statement to reporters.

Asked who would hold the inquiry, Saifur said that the chief justice would take a decision about the methodology of the inquiry or who would it in consultation with the president.  

Asked whether there has been any progress in the probes, Saifur told New Age, ‘The Appellate Division judges alone know it.’

‘It’s confidential. I know nothing about it,’ he said.

Retired High Court Division judge Justice Syed Amirul Islam told New Age, ‘People have the right to know what are allegations against the judges and what information and evidence remain with the inquiry committee in support of the allegation.’

‘Such inquiries should be held publicly as it is held in the US,’ he said adding ‘You can apply to the SC registrar under the Rights to Information Act to know the progress in the probes.’

He said, ‘Nobody knows whether or not any inquiry was held at all and what procedures were followed until the Supreme Court issues a press release about the matter.’

Supreme Court Bar Association’s secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon called it a matter of regret that no statement was issued by the  government or the president or the Chief Justice’s office during the last three months when the three judges had been kept out of the court.

‘Why the authorities are keeping mum and playing hide and seek over the issue?’ he asked.

Earlier, the SCBA in a resolution welcomed the inquiries against three judges and expressed the hope that the president and the chief justice would take action against several other judges against whom various rumours were floating  for long.

Jatiya Ainjibi Oikya Front at a press conference requested the government to  make public the allegations against the three  judges.

It also demanded probes into alleged irregularities or misconduct of other judges by the supreme judicial council.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net