Staff Reporter :
The leaders of the Dhaka Bar Association on Sunday wrote a letter to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs requesting them not to place the law in the Parliament for pass that allows the virtual operation of the judiciary.
The letter said, “We are requesting not to pass the bill titled Adalat Kartik Tathiya Projukti Bebohar (Use of Information Technology by Court- Bill 2020) in the Parliament.”
Bar President Advocate Iqbal Hossain and Secretary Advocate Hossain Ali Khan Hassan signed the letter and said that the virtual courts were not getting success as most of the lawyers were untrained to run cases in such courts.
“The traditional judicial system has broken down due to the operation of the virtual courts. So it is very urgent to restart the activities of the regular courts maintaining the health guidelines,” read the letter. “Extreme dissatisfaction and resentment prevail among most lawyers and justice seekers as the courts are conducting proceedings only virtually. Most lawyers are facing financial trouble as they make their livelihood solely on the legal profession,” also read the letter.
More than 25000 lawyers are practicing under the Dhaka Bar Association. Most of them became jobless due to the suspension of the regular court activities across the country including the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court since March 26 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Later, virtual version of the courts was introduced on May 11 this year to hear the urgent matters of the justice seekers. The virtual lower courts across the country have granted bail to 44,802 accused so far.
Meanwhile, recently many of the Supreme Court lawyers also urged the Chief Justice to restart the regular activities of the courts instead of the virtual system for the same reasons.
The bill titled Adalat Kartik Tathiya Projukti Bebohar (Use of Information Technology by Court- Bill 2020) was placed in the national parliament on June 23 to empower the country’s courts to run trial proceedings through video conferences and other digital means using information technology.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, in absence of Law Minister Anisul Huq, placed the bill in the parliament.
It was sent to the parliamentary standing committee of the concerned ministry for scrutiny. They have been asked to place their report before the House within seven working days.
This law was already promulgated by President Md Abdul Hamid as ordinance because the parliament was not in session during the time.
It was brought about to reduce the pile-up of cases during the countrywide closure enforced to contain the spread of Covid-19. Earlier the ordinance was approved by the cabinet on May 7.
More than 25000 lawyers are practicing under the Dhaka Bar Association. Most of them became jobless due to the suspension of the regular court activities across the country including the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court since March 26 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Later, virtual version of the courts was introduced on May 11 this year to hear the urgent matters of the justice seekers. The virtual lower courts across the country have granted bail to 44,802 accused so far.
Meanwhile, recently many of the Supreme Court lawyers also urged the Chief Justice to restart the regular activities of the courts instead of the virtual system for the same reasons.
The bill titled Adalat Kartik Tathiya Projukti Bebohar (Use of Information Technology by Court- Bill 2020) was placed in the national parliament on June 23 to empower the country’s courts to run trial proceedings through video conferences and other digital means using information technology.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, in absence of Law Minister Anisul Huq, placed the bill in the parliament.
It was sent to the parliamentary standing committee of the concerned ministry for scrutiny. They have been asked to place their report before the House within seven working days.
This law was already promulgated by President Md Abdul Hamid as ordinance because the parliament was not in session during the time.
It was brought about to reduce the pile-up of cases during the countrywide closure enforced to contain the spread of Covid-19. Earlier the ordinance was approved by the cabinet on May 7.
