Staff Correspondent:The Appellate division on Wednesday appointed 12 senior Supreme Court lawyers for taking their opinion on a government appeal challenging the High Court verdict that had announced SC Judge removal provision by the parliament unconstitutional.
The 12 lawyers are former judge TH Khan, Kamal Hossain, M Amirul Islam, AF Hassan Ariff, Rafique-ul-Huq, Rokonuzzaman Mahmud, AJ Mohammad Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Abdul Wadud Bhuiya, and MI Farooque.
The court determined March 7 for hearing government�s appeal against the High Court ruling that had declared the 16th amendment to the Constitution as �unconstitutional�.
An eight-member Appellate division bench headed by chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order and rescheduled the hearing as attorney general Mahbubey Alam sought a fresh adjournment for eight weeks for his preparation.
Earlier on January 5, another four week�s adjournment was sought by the attorney general.
Nine Supreme Court lawyers filed a writ petition with the High Court on November 5, 2014, praying for considering the 16th Amendment as invalid and unconstitutional.
After primary hearing, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued a rule asking the government to explain why the amendment should not be declared illegal and contrary to the constitution.
On May 5, 2016, the three-member special HC bench, headed by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, passed the majority verdict following a writ petition declaring the 16th amendment illegal.
On March10 last, the court said the amendment is contrary to the provisions enshrined in the constitution for the freedom of the judiciary.
It said the provision to remove judges by parliament is an accident in the history although the law exists in several countries of the world.