SC refuses to accept govt rules for lower court judges

The Supreme Court on Sunday rejected the draft of a gazette that clarifies the service rules for lower court judges submitted by Law Minister Anisul Huq.

The 6-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, refused to accept the draft during a hearing on the issue, citing that it was not made properly since it was made as like as government employee disciplinary rules and code of conduct.

The apex court decided to hold a meeting with the judges, law minister, attorney general and the government officials who are the experts on the rules. 

The meeting can be held anytime between 2 pm and 12midnight from Tuesday to Thursday, the court said.

On 23 July, the Supreme Court gave the government another week to publish the gazette notification on the rules determining discipline and conduct for lower court judges.

The judiciary was officially separated from the executive in November 2007 but the disciplinary rules for the lower court judges are yet to be formulated.

On December 2, 1999, the SC, in a landmark verdict in the Masdar Hossain case, issued a 12-point set of directives to the government, which included framing of disciplinary and appeal rules and code of conduct for trial court judges.