Criticism after delivery of judgement: SC

The Supreme Court today observed that constructive criticism can be made after a court delivers its judgement.

All people should be respectful to the rule of law, the apex court said, adding that many people do not understand the meaning of positive criticism.

The SC came up with the observation when Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told it that comments were made about the judiciary in a talk show hosted by private satellite television channel Ekattor TV.

The attorney general said this during the SC proceedings over an August 10 report and a talk show of the TV channel on conversation between two judges.

Today, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Suredndra Kumar Sinha received the video cassettes of the TV channel on the report and talk show.

The court said it would pass an order after examining those.

The TV channel authorities on Sunday submitted the video cassettes to the SC, as per its August 11 order.

The television channel aired the report and the talk show on the conversation between two SC judges with the proceedings of a contempt of court rule against Janakantha Editor and Publisher Atiqullah Khan Masud and Executive Editor Swadesh Roy pending.

The SC on August 13 sentenced Masud and Swadesh Roy to confinement in the courtroom for over three hours for contempt of court by publishing an article relating to war crimes convict on Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

The court also fined them Tk 10,000 each, to be donated to two charitable organisations in a week.

Today, the SC said the court should not be scandalised in any manner.

There is freedom of speech in the USA and European countries, but people do not criticise on any pending cases there, the court said.

About SC observations, the AG told reporters that none can scandalise the court and its judges and the state would be damaged if the judiciary is harmed.