Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday gave two weeks’ more to the government to publish the gazette notification on the rules determining discipline and conduct of lower court judges.

The full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, issued the order following a time-petition filed by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam in the morning.

Earlier on several occasions, the apex court expressed dissatisfaction at the government’s failure to issue the gazette notification.

Earlier on 15 May, the SC gave two more weeks to issue the gazette.

On 8 May, the SC gave one more week to issue the gazette.

On 4 April, the SC extended time up to May 8 in this connection.

On 14 March, it extended the time by two weeks for issuing the gazette.

Before that, the Court, on 27 February, gave the government two weeks to publish the gazette as it failed to publish it in time.

The court, on February 5, ordered the authorities concerned to issue the gazette notification by 12 February.

On 24 November, 2016, it gave the government one week to publish the gazette notification.

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

On 2 December, 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 7 May, 2015 sent a draft of the rules to the Supreme Court which is similar to the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1985.