Govt scrutinizes scopes to overturn SC verdict: Huq

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the government was scrutinizing scopes to overturn the Supreme Court verdict scarping parliamentary authority to impeach higher judiciary judges.

“We are aggrieved by this verdict and are certainly considering whether to file a plea to review the apex court judgement. We are yet to take decision on this as we are scrutinizing each and every details of this judgment precisely,” he told a crowded press conference at his office.

He said the apex court verdict was “unacceptable” as it was not “driven by logic, rather by emotion and animosity” while “the accountability of judiciary must be reposed with the people and none can take this away”. The minister said the government would pursue the issue through legal means as “we do not have any intention of tackling this politically”.

Huq’s comments came amid a visibly growing row between parliament and the Supreme Court over its July 3 verdict declaring void the 16th constitutional amendment in 2014.

“I would like to tell you very humbly that the logic showed by the Appellate Division in scraping 16th amendment to the constitution, are not acceptable to us . . . Honorable Chief Justice in his judgement said many irrelevant things, which in no way have any relevance with the fact in issue of this case,” he said.

Huq added: “The chief justice made slanderous comments about the Jatiya Sangsad and belittled the institution.”

The minister said initiatives would also be taken to get expunged the chief justice’s comments “which we have found objectionable and irrelevant in our observation”.

Huq said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s incumbent government drew an end to the culture of impunity and freed the country from anarchy.

“Therefore when the judgment says we have curbed the independence of judiciary by the 16th amendment, we only can feel aggrieved,” he added.

Asked for comments about main opposition outside parliament BNP’s call for forming public opinion in support of the judgment, Huq said such stance does not befit them, reports BSS.

“Those who do not comply with court’s order, do not respect judges . . . should not talk about rule of law as this doesn’t suit them,” he said.

Law secretary Abu Saleh Sk Md Zahirul Haque and other senior officials of the ministry were present at the briefing.