Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said the present government has taken many effective steps to address shortages of judges and courts to eliminate the backlog of cases.
“The present government from 2014 till now has appointed a total of 571 assistant judges at the lower courts. The 12th Bangladesh Judicial Service (BJS) examination process is going on as part of this procedure. The final result has been announced declaring 99 as selected after preliminary, written and viva voce on February 22,” Anisul told BSS. The minister said the nominated candidates would be appointed after completing medical examination and police verification. Law and Justice Division already sent demand note to Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission (BJSC) to appoint 100 more assistant judges.
“The numbers of judges are being increased under government’s special initiative to increase dynamism in the trial work. We have accelerated Judicial Service Commission to make quick appointment to fill the vacant posts,” Anisul told BSS.
Anisul, who is also an eminent lawyer, said the government to quickly dispose of women and children repression cases, has already formed 41 more tribunals across the country, adding, with the new ones, the total number of tribunals concerned now stands at 95.
“These tribunals are disposing cases lodged under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000. Apart from these, seven anti-terrorism special tribunals have already been formed, which are disposing of cases lodged under Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009,” he added. The minister further said work is underway to form seven cyber tribunals, 122 additional district and session judge courts, 159 joint-district judge courts, 19 environment courts, six environment appellate courts, posts of 364 judicial magistrates, senior judicial magistrates and metropolitan magistrates.
The government in the meantime has already started work to construct chief judicial magistrate building in 42 districts across the country. Of these, construction work has already completed in 24 districts, where trial is being held in the newly-constructed building. “The work is underway to prepare Development Project Proposal (DPP) to construct chief judicial magistrate building in the rest 22 districts. The government has already expanded upwards the existing district judge court buildings in 28 districts and preparing DPP to do the same in remaining 36 districts,” Anisul said.
The law minister revealed the huge plan to lessen the burden of pending cases, which now stands at 35, 69,750 till December 31, 2018. Of the total number of pending cases, civil cases are 14, 29, 861 and criminals cases are 20,48,067. Other remaining cases include contempt petitions and writ cases.
