Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today commenced its hearing on a petition for reviewing the apex court's judgment regarding the Warrant of Precedence. A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam, has taken up the case for hearing.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, senior advocate Salauddin Dolon represented the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association at the start of the hearing. The origin of this legal challenge dates back to 2006 when Md Ataur Rahman, then secretary general of the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association, filed a writ petition with the High Court. The petition contested the legality of the Warrant of Precedence, arguing that the Cabinet Division had framed it arbitrarily in 1986, without properly assessing the dignity and status of judicial officials.
On February 4, 2010, the High Court declared the 1986 Warrant of Precedence as illegal and invalid, issuing eight directions in the process. However, the state appealed against this judgment in 2011, leading the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to deliver its judgment on January 11, 2015. The Appellate Division made corrections to the High Court's eight directions, reducing them to three.
Following this, the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association filed a plea to review the Appellate Division's judgment. Subsequently, deputy and assistant attorney generals also became parties to the case.