Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed said, the absolute intention of the people of Bangladesh to build a people-oriented, transparent and accountable state structure has been reflected through the mass revolution that took place in July-August with the spontaneous participation of the students.
Through this revolution, how important it is for a country to have an independent judiciary to establish justice in the society has re-emerged.
He said these things while delivering a speech as the key-note speaker at the regional conference held in Bangkok on Monday.
This information was informed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The conference was attended by representatives of various countries in the Asia and Pacific region.
The Chief Justice said that the formal judicial system which prevails as a colonial legacy in the Asia and Pacific region, often fails to meet the expectations of the people. Based on that, the centuries-old traditional dispute resolution system of various countries in the region has become relevant in the modern era considering the current context.
The Chief Justice highlighted the success of Bangladesh’s village courts in ensuring legal remedies and community justice at the grassroots level by commenting on the determination of the Bangladesh Judiciary to ensure an inclusive justice system for all citizens regardless of religion-caste-class-economic status.
He said, recently the Supreme Court of Bangladesh applied the Capability Approach, only indigent people will get the help of legal aid; This narrow concept has been broadened. As a result, a person can now apply for legal aid if he fails to hire a lawyer due to any other adversities apart from financial inconsistencies.
The Chief Justice outlined his announced roadmap for reforming the judiciary, including ensuring the independence of the judiciary. He mentioned that, to ensure the independence of the judiciary, the government has proposed the establishment of a separate judicial secretariat on behalf of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Besides, he mentioned that the Bangladesh Supreme Court has revived the Supreme Judicial Council to ensure the independence of the judiciary.
He also said that initiatives will be taken soon to introduce a transparent and accountable process for appointing high court judges.
In addition, he called for increased inter-state cooperation in formulating a regional strategy for the Asia-Pacific region to ensure inclusive justice through building a people-friendly justice system.
Source: timenewsbd