Young Judges for Judicial Reform, a platform representing over 850 assistant and senior assistant judges, has demanded that the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance 2025 be passed as law within the first 30 days of the new parliament’s first session.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the organisation also urged the government to make necessary constitutional amendments to ensure the full independence of the judiciary, in line with political pledges and the consensus of July National Charter.
Muhammad Ali Talha, one of the coordinators of the platform, confirmed the matter to TIMES of Bangladesh.
The statement congratulated the newly elected members of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad and the newly formed government.
It noted that the outgoing interim government had promulgated the “Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, 2025” on 30 November last year, following the landmark Masdar Hossain case judgment and constitutional directives.
The judges highlighted that while a partial separation of the judiciary took place in 2007, the executive branch effectively retained control over the subordinate courts. They stated that the recently issued ordinance marks the beginning of the journey to complete that unfinished separation.
The platform pointed out that the ruling BNP, in its 31-point state reform proposal, specifically committed to ensuring the effective independence of the judiciary based on the Masdar Hossain case judgment.
This includes placing the control and discipline of the subordinate courts under the Supreme Court and establishing a separate secretariat under its jurisdiction.
The judges noted that the party’s election manifesto promised constitutional amendments to vest full control over the service of subordinate court judges in the Supreme Court.
According to the statement, ensuring the accountability and independence of every state institution was the core spirit of the July-August mass uprising.
The platform asserted that it is the constitutional and moral duty of the elected government to honour the national consensus reached in the July National Charter regarding an independent judiciary.
Young Judges for Judicial Reform commenced its journey on 9 August 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government, to implement necessary judicial reforms. The platform currently consists of more than 850 assistant judges and senior assistant judges.
