Arrange virtual court to save time, resources

It is essential to institutionalise the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system in judicial reforms to reduce backlogs of cases and long delays in their disposals, Justice M Imman Ali, a former judge of Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, has said.
“Virtual court functions should be arranged in order to save time and resources. Separate courtrooms can be made to produce the accused before the judges to ensure their safety and reduce state expenditures,” he said.
He was speaking as a guest of honour at a discussion meeting, titled “Proposed Recommendations on Judicial and Police Reforms,” organised by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Justice Imman Ali said lawyers need to be trained on new laws regularly so that the laws become operational and judges can also learn about new laws through lawyers.
He also emphasised the importance of establishing a transparent and merit-based system in the appointment of judges.
“It is important to have an independent body for appointing judges based on qualifications. It is also necessary to regularly evaluate the performance of judges so that it does not influence the litigants in any way,” he added.
BLAST’s legal experts Ayesha Akhtar, Tajul Islam, Khandaker Shahriar Shakir, Aminul Haque, Shihab Ahmed Sirajee, Rabiul Islam Rabi, Nafiul Alam Supta, SM Rezaul Karim, Abid Hossain Ansari, Barkat Ali, Md Mashiur Rahman and Namita Rani Biswas and its research officer Fahad Bin Siddiquee and Advocacy and Communication Director Mahbuba Aktar, among others, spoke at the programme.