Shawdesh Desk:

Chief Justice on Saturday announced a bold reform plan to make the country’s judiciary more independent, efficient, and focused on serving the people.

Speaking at sixth regional seminar held in Rangpur on judicial reform, he said that the movement for justice is a long-term commitment, just like the struggles of 1952 and 1971, and the recent student protests of 2024. He introduced the Roadmap for Judicial Reform on September 21, 2024, as part of his plan to improve the justice system.

The seminar titled Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh was jointly organised by the Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme. Among others, UNDP Bangladesh resident representative Stefan Liller and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook also spoke at the event.

The Chief Justice also proposed new courts for children’s issues, electricity-related cases, and special magistrate cases to better meet people’s legal needs.

One major step is the creation of two new Supreme Court bodies — the Judicial Appointment Council and the Supreme Judicial Council — to handle the recruitment and removal of judges without interference from the government. A separate Secretariat for the judiciary is also being formed to ensure full administrative independence.

To reduce corruption and improve services, the Supreme Court introduced paper-free systems, a digital dashboard, and launched two helpline services. Judges’ data is being updated for the first time since 2015.

He praised local courts, especially in Rajshahi, for taking the lead in setting up helplines inspired by the Supreme Court model. He said these reform roadshows have encouraged district courts to take ownership of the changes.

The Chief Justice stressed that the judiciary must keep leading the way in national reforms and warned that missing this chance would hurt the court’s integrity and relevance.

Ending his speech, he called on all judges to support the reform agenda and help build a justice system that is truly independent and focused on the people’s needs.