The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday ordered the government to specify in 10 days the time it needs to fully implement the court directives given way back in 1999 for separation of the judiciary from the executive.

The government appealed for an additional four months' time, its 19th appeal for deadline extension, prompting a full bench of the

Appellate Division to adjourn the hearing on the petition till August 17. The bench said it would pass its order on that day after considering the government reply on the demand for a specific timeframe.

The SC in a groundbreaking 12-point directive in December 1999 asked the government to separate thejudiciary.

Attorney General AF Hassan Ariff submitted the prayer for a four-month extension before the

full bench. "Some steps among the 12 SC directives have already been taken and summaries of two rules have been sent to the president for approval," the attorney general told the court.

Upon approval of the draft of two rules governing services of judges and magistrates of the subordinate courts, the process to fully implement all 12 directives of the SC for the separation of judiciary would be expedited, Ariff added.

As the SC bench asked Ariff how long it would take for the government to separate the judiciary from the executive, Ariff replied, "We want the necessary four months at the moment, but only the law ministry can tell us how long it would take after those months."

The court then asked Ariff to return to it after learning of a specific timeframe from the law ministry within 10 days.

Lawyer for the petitioner, Barrister Amir Ul Islam, reminded the bench of the contempt of court petition filed against the government for not meeting the previous deadline set by the SC and suggested the hearing on the contempt petition take place immediately.

The court told him it would look into the matter on completion of the process of implementation of the directives for separation of the judiciary. Chowdhury Monir Uddin Mahfuz, chairman of Khulna and Barisal Division Labour Court, filed the contempt petition a few

monthsago.

Barrister Amir pointed out that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) set up by the government was not consistent with the SC directives as five of the seven JSC members are bureaucrats, where judges should make up the majority.

"Government actions in the name of independence of the judiciary are diminishing whatever independence it now enjoys," Amir later told reporters.

When the government sought extension of the deadline for the 18th time, the SC on April 19 gave the government three months. It then had also asked the government to cite specific reasons and later expressed satisfaction at the attorney general's explanation on government steps for separation of the judiciary.

After the 18th extension of the SC deadline on April 19, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed told reporters the government would comply with the court orders by the fresh deadline and no more seek extension.