Hasan Foez tipped to be new Chief Justice

The Supreme Court lawyers are widely congratulating Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, a senior judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, as the 23rd Chief Justice (CJ) of the country even though no official announcement has been issued.

Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), congratulated Justice Hasan Foez in his face book post saying, "Sincere congratulations to Justice Hasan Foez as he has been appointed as the 23rd Chief Justice of Bangladesh."

Sources said, only formalities are left to appoint Justice Hasan Foez Siddique as the Chief Justice.

The Law Ministry will publish a gazette on the issue after the President signs the appointment letter of the new Chief Justice.

The incumbent Chief Justice, Syed Mahmud Hossain, will go into retirement today (December 30) as he will complete his 67 years, the age boundary for a Supreme Court judge.

However, many have expressed their frustration over the appointment as a junior judge has been selected superseding his senior.

Hasan Foez Siddique was enrolled as an advocate of the District Court on August 21, 1981, in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court on September 4, 1983 and in the Appellate Division on May 27, 1999.

He acted as legal advisor to Khulna City Corporation, Kushtia Municipality, Jalalabad Gas Transmission Company and Chief Law Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Besides, he also worked as additional attorney general for Bangladesh.

He was elevated as the judge of the High Court Division on March 25, 2009 and as a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on March 31, 2013.

He has been acting as the chairman of Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission since April 30, 2015.

He participated in the conference of South Asian Judges Regional Forum on Economic and Financial Crime held in Sri Lanka in 2011, South Asian Conference on Environmental Justice in Pakistan in 2012, International Conference on Environment held in India in 2015 and 17th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World held in Lucknow, India, in 2016.