SC appoints 2 amici curiae for Quader Mollah appeal hearing::::::::::::; The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed two noted senior lawyers as amici curiae (friends of court) to assist the court with legal opinion in the appeal hearing of war crimes convict Abdul Quader Mollah, awarded life term imprisonment by International Crimes Tribunal. A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Mohammad Muzammel Hossain made the appointment. The newly appointed amici curiae are Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam and Mahmudul Islam, a former attorney general. About the appointment of two amici curiae, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the court appointed the two lawyers to give their opinion on whether the appeal of war crimes convict Quader Mollah would be considered under equal appeal right of convict and plaintiff in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act of 1973. On February 5 this year, International Crimes Tribunal-2 handed down life term imprisonment to Quader Mollah, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, on charge of committing war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971. Protesting the verdict, an instant demonstration ensued at Shahbagh Square, popularly known as Prajanma Chattar, demanding of the government to reevaluate the verdict. Consequently, the government amended the ICT Act in Parliament on February 17 providing for equal appeal right to both the convict and the government that had no right earlier in this regard except in case of acquittal of the accused. On March 3, Quader Mollah appealed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the verdict of ICT-2 seeking acquittal from all war crimes charges. And the following day (March 4), the government also appealed to the court seeking capital punishment for Quader Mollah.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 01:40:46 +0000