Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan expressed concern about social media today, stating that it has become a danger.
If a husband and wife quarrel, that now also comes to Facebook. If we say something about social media, question of rights to freedom of expression arises,” he said while presiding over a bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court during hearing of a contempt of court petition filed against six pro-BNP lawyers for making “slanderous, derogatory and contemptuous” comments about two apex court judges.
The apex court also expressed dissatisfaction at the six accused pro-BNP lawyers for not apologising before it for their comments.
The chief justice told them that they did not apologise but sought exoneration from personal appearance which is not acceptable.
The SC cancelled its previous order of exoneration and asked them to appear before it on August 22.
The court fixed August 22 for further hearing of the contempt of court petition.
Earlier in the day, senior lawyers Zainul Abedin and AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who appeared for the six accused lawyers, told the Appellate Division that they have the highest respect and faith on the apex court.
Earlier on June 12, the SC exonerated the six lawyers from personal appearance before this court and ordered them lawyers to submit written explanation of their positions over making comments about two judges to this court by July 25.
Following the contempt of court petition, the Appellate Division on November 15 last year issued a notice and summons order against the seven lawyers for making “slanderous, derogatory and contemptuous” comments about two apex court judges.
The seven lawyers are Md Kayser Kamal, Abdul Jamil Mohammad Ali (known as AJ Mohammad Ali), Fahima Nasrin, Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal.
Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali expired in May this year. Therefore, he has been exempted from the case.
SC lawyer Md Nazmul Huda on August 29 last year submitted the contempt of court petition to the apex court praying to it to draw contempt of court proceedings against the seven lawyers and to punish them for their comments about the two SC judges at a press conference held on the Supreme Court Bar Association premises on August 27.
He said in the petition that the seven pro-BNP lawyers at the press conference demanded that the two SC judges are kept away from discharging judicial functions and said otherwise they will enforce new programme demanding resignation of the judges after 48 hours, according to the contempt of court petition.
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