Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Sunday extended time for the government up to December 10 to issue a gazette notification on lower court judges’ conduct rules.

A five-member Appellate Division bench, led by acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, passed the order following a time-petition filed by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam in the morning.

The SC also set December 10 for the next hearing on the matter.

On November 30, Law Minister Anisul Huq said his ministry had sent the draft of the gazette to the Prime Minister’s office.

Once the PM gives consent to the draft, it will be sent to President’s office, said the minister.

After the President’s approval, the Law Ministry will issue the much-awaited gazette notification, he added. 

On November 16, Anisul Huq, after a meeting with acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, said the gazette notification would be issued before December 3 if the President permits.

On November 5, the apex court extended time for the government up to December 3 to publish the gazette notification.

With this, the Appellate Division extended time for at least 30 times in the last one year. 

The lower judiciary was officially separated in November 2007 but the disciplinary rules for lower court judges are yet to be formulated.

On December 2, 1999, the Supreme Court in the Masdar Hossain case issued a seven-point directive, including formulating separate disciplinary rules, for the lower court judges.

The Law Ministry on May 7, 2015 sent a draft of the rules to the Supreme Court which is similar to the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1985.