Appeal against HC verdict on SC Secretariat to be filed soon: AG
The AG was talking to reporters after hearing a writ petition filed by 7 lawyers challenging the repeal of the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance in parliament.
Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal has said an appeal against the High Court verdict on establishing a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court will be filed as soon as possible.
"We said that an appeal against the verdict will be filed promptly, and Appellate Division's verdict will be the final," he told reporters at his office today (20 April).
The AG was talking to reporters after hearing a writ petition filed by 7 lawyers challenging the repeal of the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance in parliament.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The High Court bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar kept the writ pending in its cause list until the appeal is disposed of by the apex court, the AG said.
Seven lawyers, including Md Saddam Hossain, filed the writ challenging the Supreme Court Secretariat (Repeal) Bill-2026.
Senior lawyer Mohammed Shishir Manir moved the plea before the court, while the attorney general represented the state.
The attorney general on an earlier occasion had said the decision to appeal was taken as the verdict involves constitutional questions.
"When the High Court disposes a case involving constitutional interpretation, it grants a certificate allowing a direct appeal to the Appellate Division," he added.
The judgment of the HC on the Separate Secretariat of the SC came on 2 September 2025 following the final hearing of a writ petition.
In the verdict, the court declared Article 116 in the amended form in the current constitution is contradictory to the spirit of independence of the judiciary, declaring the amendment null and void, and restoring the original Article 116 of the 1972 constitution.
The court also directed the establishment of an independent and separate secretariat for the Supreme Court within three months.
The 185-page full text of the judgment was published on the Supreme Court website on 7 April.
The House, however, on 9 April passed the Supreme Court Secretariat (Repeal) Bill, 2026, abolishing the recently established independent secretariat for the country's highest court.
According to the objectives and reasons stated in the repeal bill, the government believed that further consultation and scrutiny with stakeholders were required regarding the necessity and structure of a separate Supreme Court Secretariat.
