<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Students and the public now have a forum to present their concerns to the appropriate authority through reviving the Supreme Judicial Council(SJC), which is a positive development, said Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There are some judges in the High Court against whom various sections of society have many complaints. Some of them became instruments of the fallen oppressive regime. There are also allegations of corruption against a few. There have been reports in the media, and many are angry about this. Now, through the SJC, there is a constitutional way to address these grievances," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nazrul made this remarks while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The forum responsible for ensuring accountability of judges has been reinstated through transferring the power of removing judges to the Supreme Judicial Council, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The Supreme Judicial Council has been reactivated. There was some confusion surrounding this, but the court's verdict has cleared that. Now, the SJC can be made fully operational."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Law Adviser said the higher judiciary remains entirely independent and will act accordingly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court disposed of the review petition regarding the 16th amendment of the constitution, restoring the SJC’s authority. The court has fully reinstated Article 96 of the constitution, which transfers the power of removing judges back to the SJC.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The full bench of the six-member Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nazrul said the SJC, formed under the constitution, comprises the Chief Justice and the senior-most judges of the Appellate Division. "If a complaint is lodged today, the process will begin immediately. There’s no need for a separate notification; it is clearly stated in the constitution."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"When the SJC was inactive, there was no forum to ensure the accountability of the higher judiciary. At that time, the court administration also lacked the will to ensure such accountability, as they were delivering judgments dictated by others," Nazrul claimed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>