7 amicus curiae appointed on presidential oath dispute

Special Correspondent :

The High Court has appointed seven senior lawyers as amicus curiae to advise on a constitutional dispute over whether the President should take the oath of office from the Speaker or the Chief Justice.

A bench of Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sharma and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar set October 26 for the next hearing on a rule questioning the validity of the 15th Constitutional Amendment, which empowered the Speaker – instead of the Chief Justice – to administer the presidential oath.

The appointed amicus curiae are senior lawyer Zainul Abedin, Advocate Probir Neogi, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Dr Shahdeen Malik, Advocate Ahsanul Karim, Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan, and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua.

The petition was filed on March 10 by lyricist Shahidullah Forayzi, who sought restoration of the 1972 Constitution’s original provision requiring the Chief Justice to conduct the ceremony.

The court issued a rule asking why the amendment removing the Chief Justice’s role should not be declared inconsistent with the original constitution and annulled. The Law Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, and Supreme Court Registrar General have been made respondents.
Barrister Omar Faruq appeared for the petitioner during Thursday’s proceedings.