PM urges judges, lawyers to be more humanitarian to litigants

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the judges and lawyers to be more humanitarian and serve the litigants with extra care to reduce their sufferings in the court of justice.

"It's not possible to lessen the sufferings of the people only through framing laws and development of the infrastructure of the judicial system. Our judges and lawyer should be more caring and come forward with mentality of giving service to the litigants," she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the inauguration programmes of the National Legal Aid Day, 2017 at Osmani Memorial Hall here this morning.

Sheikh Hasina said, "The three organs of a state- legislative, executive and judiciary- must work together with consensus. A state can never run properly if the organs trade blames against each other," she said questing everybody to remain careful about this.

"Power of an organ is not less than the power of another one. We formulate law and judiciary is the executor of the law with the support of the executive. None can function independently. Every wing should function together with consensus," she added.

"We want to build such a society where there will have no discrimination between poor and rich and people will have the opportunity to enjoy all basic rights as enshrined in the constitution for changing their lot in life" she said.

The Prime Minister urged all to help expanding the public legal aid system at grassroots level to give it an institutional shape.

Minister for Law and Justice Anisul Huq presided over the function while secretary of the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law Abu Saleh Sk Md. Zahirul Haque and Acting Director of the National Legal Aid Services Organization Mostafizur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.

Highlighting the steps taken by her government for development of the judiciary the Prime Minister said there is no alternative to independent judiciary to establish the rule of law. The Awami league government is always sincere to establish an independent judiciary, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Constitution of Bangladesh framed by Bangabandhu government in 1972 is a unique pillar of justice and equality which guaranteed the basic rights of the citizens. Bangabandhu himself is a witness of the culture of lawlessness. As a sufferer Bangabandhu incorporated the issues of human rights in the Constitution, she said.

The Prime Minister said every citizen has the right to get legal aid as her government is working for an independent, neutral and modern judicial system. To pave the way of getting justice by helpless, poor and disadvantageous people the government enacted Legal AID Act 2000, which is playing a pioneering role in reducing social discrimination in getting justice, she said.

But, the BNP-Jammat alliance government after coming to power in 2001 shelved the legal aid programme. The Awami League government expedited the system after assuming office in 2009. Now people are enjoying its benefit, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said her government in the first session of the Jatiya Sangsad in 2009 has passed the Code of Criminal Procedure (amendment) Act, 2009 to give the separation of the judiciary from executive a permanent shape. Use of the information technology has been introduced in the judicial system to enhance its transparency and accountability, she said.

The Prime Minister said her government has established the National Human Rights Commission to protect the rights of the people. Legal aid committees were constituted in every district, upazila and union to expand its services to the grassroots level.

A special committee has been formed in the Labour Courts to provide legal assistance to the workers. Legal public services were also made available in the Supreme Court, she said adding that more than 2.31 people were given the public legal aid services including 1.66 lakh women and children.

The Prime Minister said a total of 1,693 lawsuits were disposed in the last eight years in the Supreme Court through the National Legal Aid Services Organization.

Sheikh Hasina said every Chief Judicial Magistrate Court will have separate arrangement for legal aid services. Special vehicles are being procured for carrying the notorious criminals and steps are being taken for their online trial through video conference between the prosecution and defense from the court and jail.

The Prime Minister the government finance for training of as many as 540 judicial officers from Western University of Australia and 1,500 judges would be given higher training in the National Judicial Academy of India.

Source: bss