Former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque on Thursday signed the full verdict of the Supreme Court that declared the 13th amendment to the constitution illegal two years ago.
Justice Haque signed the 342-page judgement at the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court registrar AKM Shamsul Islam told the news agency, ‘The full judgement will be published after the signature of six other judges authorising the verdict.’
On May 11, 2010, the seven-strong full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Haque, repealed the 13th amendment by declaring illegal the 15-year-old constitutional provision that mandated an elected government to transfer power to an unelected non-partisan caretaker administration to oversee a new parliamentary election on completion of its term.
In the short verdict, the apex court also observed that the rescinded system might be practised for another two parliamentary terms.
The court also asked parliament to amend the Constitution to make sure that former Chief Justices or any other Supreme Court judges are not chosen as heads of caretaker governments in case the system is kept for another two parliamentary elections.
On June 30 last year, parliament finally abolished the caretaker government system allowing general elections under elected partisan governments.
The main opposition BNP has been opposing the constitutional amendment claiming that the government partly implemented the verdict, but overlooked the other part on two elections under the caretakers.
Amid such debate, the legal experts are saying that everything would be clear once after the full judgement is published.
According to the latest Amendment to the Constitution, the next parliamentary election will be held within 90 days before expiry of the tenure of the ruling Awami League-led Alliance. It means the next parliamentary elections will be held sometime between November 2013 and January 2014.