Each HC judge is burdened with 6,552 cases, while Appellate Division judges are handling 4,446 cases each, and lower court judges 1,977 cases each.
The wait for justice is likely to grow longer in the case over the Holey Artisan militant attack that claimed the lives of 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals, nine years ago.
Judge shortage, lack of witnesses, inadequate court infrastructure blamed for delays
More than nine years have passed since a case was filed over the rape of a nine-year-old schoolgirl in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area. The tribunal dealing with the case has framed charges against the lone accused and held 96 hearings but is yet to complete the trial.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the full text of a verdict has upheld its previous judgement that reformulated 39-point code of conduct for its judges with a view to avoiding any confusion under article 96 of the constitution.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the full text of a verdict has observed that the sixteenth amendment to the constitution, which had empowered the parliament to remove the SC judges for incapacity or misbehavior, is a colourable legislation and is violative of separation of powers among the three organs of the state -- executive, legislature and judiciary, and independence of the judiciary.
Justice continues to evade the family of Sultana Jasmine, a 41-year-old land office employee from Naogaon, who died in the custody of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) over two years ago.
The High Court, in the full text of a verdict, has said that the appointments of Supreme Court judges were not always made on merit, and many unsatisfactory appointments were made to the High Court on political or other considerations, badly affecting the image of the country’s judiciary.
Uncertainty looms over quick delivery of a High Court judgement in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack cases as the hearing on appeals and death references has recently been halted.
The Detective Branch’s picking up of key coordinators of the quota reform protest “for the sake of security” is unconstitutional, said two legal experts and an academician.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, in the full text of its July 10 order, has said the High Court judgement, which effectively reinstated quotas in government jobs, must remain inoperative until the leave-to-appeal petitions filed with this court are disposed of.
Although eight years have passed since the horrific militant attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan, justice is yet to be finalised for the families of the victims.
It is still uncertain when the August 21 grenade attack cases will reach the eventuality although the High Court has so far held hearings on death references and appeals for 91 working days since December 5, 2022.
The High Court and Appellate divisions of the Supreme Court have long been facing an acute shortage of judges.
Law enforcers have no idea where former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu is even though a Dhaka court has so far issued 52 warrants for him in as many cases since February 28.
Legal experts have expressed worries about the growing abuse of power by the executive magistrates.
Appointment of new judges for both the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court is on the cards amid an acute shortage of judges with respect to the number of pending cases.
The High Court, in the full text of a verdict, has observed that the acquisition, holding, transfer, and distribution of property, as well as changing its class, are fundamental rights of every citizen.
