The Chief Justice on Saturday announced a bold reform plan to make the country鈥檚 judiciary more independent, efficient, and focused on serving the people.
Speaking at the sixth regional seminar held in Rangpur on judicial reform, he said that the movement for justice was a long-term commitment, just like the struggles of 1952 and 1971, as well as the student protests of 2024.
The seminar titled Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh was jointly organised by the Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme.
He introduced the Road Map for Judicial Reform on September 21, 2024, as part of his plan to improve the justice system.
Among others, UNDP Bangladesh resident representative Stefan Liller and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke also spoke at the event.
The Chief Justice also proposed new courts for children鈥檚 issues, electricity-related cases, and special magistrate cases to better meet people鈥檚 legal needs.
One major step is the creation of two new Supreme Court bodies 鈥� the Judicial Appointment Council and the Supreme Judicial Council 鈥� 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鈥� 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 that 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 needs.
