CJ hopes Justice Manik will return files of pending verdicts

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha today hoped that former Appellate Division judge AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik will immediately return “all files of the pending verdicts” to the SC registrar general’s office.

Earlier in the day, Justice Manik in a letter to the chief justice said he has completed writing all the verdicts and orders of cases pending with him, but Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, presiding judge of the apex court bench, where he was a member, refused to accept the judgments and orders due to chief justice’s instruction.

Meanwhile this evening, Justice Manik told The Daily Star that Justice Wahhab Miah has agreed to accept the judgments and orders from him and he will send them immediately.   

A SC press release today said, “Honourable chief justice of Bangladesh hopes that former judge AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury will return all the files of cases of unsettled verdicts belonging to him to the Supreme Court’s registrar general’s office immediately without making any statement to the media in this regard so that justice seekers don’t suffer anymore”.

The press release signed by Abu Syed Diljar Hussain, acting registrar general of the SC, said Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury today held a press conference at the SC premises during the court hours which came to the notice of the chief justice through the electronic media, though such a press conference at the SC compound is unprecedented.

The chief justice hoped that the judges will refrain from doing such acts in order to uphold the sanctity and dignity of the court at present and in future.

Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury mentioned at the press conference, “My presiding judge, honourable Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah refused to accept the judgments and orders written by me when he (Justice Wahhab) had been requested to accept those, saying that judgments and orders written by retired judges are not being accepted under the chief justice’s instruction,” the press release said.

When the statement of Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury came to the notice, the chief justice drew the attention of Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah.  Justice Wahhab Miah informed the chief justice that Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury did not submit and written judgment or order to him (Justice Wahhab), according to the press release.

While contacted, Abu Sayed Diljar Hussain told this correspondent that Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has not said anything about the judgments written and signed by other judges after their retirement.

Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik sent a letter to the chief justice this morning, requesting him to take necessary steps for accepting the judgments and orders he has written after his retirement on October 1 last year.

He said he had requested Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah to accept the judgments and orders, but he refused to accept them, saying the judgments and orders written by the retired judges cannot be accepted under the chief justice’s instruction.

After sending the letter to the chief justice, Justice Manik told this correspondent that he has completed writing all the 15 judgments and around 70 orders after his retirement.

In the wake of the controversy triggered by the CJ's remarks, Law Minister Anisul Huq on January 26 told parliament that writing verdict after retirement is not illegal and unconstitutional.

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