Senior judge of the High Court Division, Justice Farah Mahbub, on Thursday, emphasised that judicial independence was fundamental to democracy and hailed the chief justice鈥檚 recently proposed roadmap for judicial reform as a bold step toward strengthening the judiciary.
Speaking as chief guest at a workshop titled 鈥楥apacity Building for Law Reporters Forum鈥�, held at the National Institute of Mass Communication office at Darun Salam in Dhaka, she underscored the judiciary鈥檚 crucial role in maintaining the balance of power among the three branches of the state and upholding the rule of law.
The workshop was organised by the NIMC with support from the Embassy of Sweden, Supreme Court and the UNDP.
Among others, information and broadcasting ministry secretary Mahbuba Farjana, UNDP Bangladesh resident representative Stefan Liller and Swedish Development Cooperation and deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Sweden Maria Stridsman spoke at the event.
The speakers lauded the chief justice鈥檚 initiative for judicial reform, including the proposals to establish the Supreme Court secretariat, constitutional amendments to strengthen separation of powers and others.
Justice Farah Mahbub, also the chairperson of Supreme Court鈥檚 special committee for judicial reform, asserted that judicial independence was not merely an abstract legal principle but the very foundation of democracy.
鈥楯ustice must be dispensed without fear, favour, or interference,鈥� she said, highlighting the judiciary鈥檚 role in ensuring equality, justice and human dignity, as enshrined in the preamble of the constitution.
She stressed that for the judiciary to fulfil this mandate, it must be shielded from undue influence while maintaining accountability and adhering to principles of reason and fairness.
She also noted that implementing chief justice鈥檚 reform roadmap would require strong international cooperation as well as support from the media.
A total of 35 journalists from various print, electronic and online news portals participated in the workshop, where Supreme Court special officer Md Muajjem Hussain, Daffodil International University associate professor Kabil Khan Jamil and East West University lecturer Ali Mashraf were present as trainers.
聽They highlighted the crucial role of journalists in facilitating the road map declared by chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on September 21, 2024 calling for judicial reform to ensure the independence of the judiciary.
The event concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, where NIMC director for training programmes Md Maruf Nawaz, NIMC director for workshops Sumona Parvin and its deputy director, research, Irin Sultana and UNDP Bangladesh assistant resident representative Anowarul Haq distributed certificates among participants.
NIMC TV programme assistant director Tanjim Tamanna moderated the workshop.
