16th Amendment: Hearing on review petition soon

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday said the hearing on the review petition against the verdict of the High Court on 16th amendment to the constitution will start very soon.

He said this while speaking in parliament on the issue of a proposal to send the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Remuneration and Privileges) Bill, 2021 to scrutiny committee.

He said the case is now pending in the Appellate Division as the government sought the review on the ground of ‘error apparent on the face of the record’. “There is enough merit to review this case,” he said. The minister said the government has already requested the Appellate Division to review the case. “The Appellate Division informed us they will hear the case very soon,” he said.

On May 5, 2016, the High Court declared the 16th Amendment to the Constitution illegal. The government on January 4, 2017 filed an appeal challenging the HC decision. The amendment had empowered parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for incapacity or misbehaviour.