Sinha pomises to work for full independence of Judiciary

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on Sunday promised to put in his sincere efforts to ensure the judiciary’s full independence.
SK Sinha who took over as the country’s 21st Chief Justice on Saturday, came up with the commitment before the members of the bench and the bar at a felicitation accorded to him jointly by the Attorney General’s Office and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), dominated by pro-BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami lawyers
Held at the courtroom 1 of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, most members of both the divisions of the Supreme Court and several hundred lawyers attended the long practice apex court traditional ceremony on the first day of his office.
Responding to the observations and demands by SCBA president Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Sinha said, “The lower court is not governed by the Law Ministry, it is rather under our control to a large extent.”
About the appointment of judges to lower courts, the Chief Justice said, “The appointment of lower court judges is done in a transparent manner under a set rule.  “But the appointment of higher court judges is not in my domain.”Sinha, however, said he would play his due role in ensuring that it has been made in accordance with the constitution.                      Calling upon all to work together in combating all kinds of terrorist acts in the country, the Chief Justice said Bangladesh as a unitary state and democratic country always fought against terrorist acts in the past and now resist all sorts of evil activities.
“We all know that innocent people often suffer pitiable fate due to desperate terrorist activities. It’s not possible to eliminate terrorist acts condemning on one hand and supporting and tolerating that on the other,” Sinha told his audience.
Warmly felicitating the new Chief Justice, the SCBA president, referring to the situation at the lower courts, alleged that after the implementation of the SC judgment on the separation of the judiciary in October 2007, the government has retained control over it, including trial, transfer and posting of the judges. As a result, the lower judiciary faces troubles in dispensation of justice.
He urged the new Chief Justice to take necessary measures to increase the number of lower court judges along with additional courtroom infrastructures to reduce the burden of huge logjam of cases.
Drawing attention of the new chief justice over the long drawn SCBA demand for enactment of a policy in appointment of higher court judges, the lawyers’ leader said the appointment should be on the basis of merit and competence sans ‘evil political considerations’ in the interest of keeping the image of the judiciary.
In his address of welcome, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam as the leader of the Bar termed Justice Sinha’s appointment a great achievement in the country’s history as it reflected the bona fide spirit of secularism, one of the basic pillars of the constitution.
Among others, Dr Kamal Hossain, Rafique-ul Huq, M Amir-Ul Islam, Moudud Ahmed, Shafique Ahmed, Mahmudul Islam, AF Hasan Ariff, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Ajmalul Hossain, Abdul Baset Majumder, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Munsurul Haque Chowdhury, Mahbubuddin Khokon, M Badruddoza Badal and SM Rezaul Karim were present at the ceremony.  – UNB