Bill to appoint new HC judges to be introduced: Law minister

A Bill to appoint judges in the High Court Division will be introduced in the current Parliament, Law Minister Anisul Haque said today (22 February).

The minister said this in Parliament while responding to a supplementary question of Jatiya Party Member and opposition Chief Whip elected from Kishoreganj Mujibul Haque.

He said the constitution stipulates that there will be a law for the appointment of judges.

The law minister said there is no such provision in the constitution that there should be seven judges in the Appellate Division.

"Earlier there were 11 judges. The president will soon take the initiative to appoint judges to the Appellate Division," he said.

Similarly, he hoped that the president will take initiatives to increase the number of judges in the High Court Division.

The minister, responding to ruling party lawmaker elected from Chattogram M Abdul Latif, said the present government has taken effective initiatives to create new posts of judges for the proper administration of judicial proceedings. 

He mentioned that due to the sincere initiative of the government, 259 posts of judges of various ranks have been created in lower courts. 

He also said that some 1,999 assistant posts have been created for smooth functioning of courts.

On the other hand, the minister said during the four-party BNP-Jamaat alliance government between 2001 and 2006, only 25 posts of judges and 133 posts of support staff posts were created.

He said that from 2009 to 2023 some 1,426 Judges (Assistant Judges) have been appointed in lower courts. On the other hand, during the four-party BNP-Jamaat alliance government, only 190 judges were appointed in the subordinate courts. 

Huq said that through the 16th BJS some 104 judges are being recommended by the Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission. 

A letter has been sent to the Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission to start the process of recruitment of 100 more judges, he said. 

"The government is considering increasing the number of judges of the Bangladesh Supreme Court," the law minister added.

While replying to ruling party MP elected from Lakshmipur Noor Uddin Chowdhury Nayan, Haque said that the 'House Rent Control Act, 1991' is currently in existence to ensure the facilities of the tenants and to resolve the conflict between landlords and tenants. 

In this situation, he said that the government has no plans to enact any new law related to house rent. However, if necessary, the provisions of the existing law will be reviewed.

The law minister in response to the question of Awami League lawmaker elected from Bhola Nurunnabi Chowdhury said that since the formation of the Law Commission in 1996, the government has so far received 167 recommendations (drafts with amendments, drafts of laws, drafts of bills, special Reports, Legal Opinions) are sent. 

Out of these 88 recommendations have already been fully/partially implemented, he said.