Staff Reporter :
President Md Abdul Hamid has approved the ordinance on the use of information technology by courts for holding trials, hearings and taking digital evidence using technology and virtual appearances of parties and lawyers.
Later, the legislative and parliamentary affairs division of the Ministry of Law on Saturday night issued a gazette notification in this regard saying that it will come into immediate effect.
Earlier on May 7, the weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban, approved the proposed ordinance.
According to the previous law, the physical presence of judges, counsels and witnesses was a must to run court proceedings. But, the newly legislated law has allowed courts to conduct their activities being connected virtually.
Regular activities of all courts across the country, including the Appellate and High Court Divisions, have been suspended since March 26 due to the ongoing nationwide shutdown amid coronavirus outbreak. The closure is scheduled to stay till May 16.
In this circumstance, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain at a full-court meeting with the judges of the Appellate and High Court Divisions recently decided to request the President to take necessary steps to issue an ordinance so that the cases can be heard and disposed of through virtual court proceedings.
Besides, lawyers’ organizations also have requested the Chief Justice to allow virtual court functions during the ongoing closure. Subsequently the ordinance was approved.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice has already formed a five-member committee headed by Justice Farah Mahbub, a senior judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, to amend the High Court rules including the virtual court system.
The committee also included Justice Obaidul Hassan, Justice JBM Hassan, Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice S M Kuddus Zaman, sources said.
