Appeal against ICT verdict
The total 60-day time-frame mentioned in the law on disposal of appeals at the Appellate Division, against the verdicts of International Crimes Tribunals, should not be interpreted as mandatory, but, as a directive, said law minister barrister Shafique Ahmed, on Wednesday. He said this while talking to reporters, after attending the closing ceremony of Plea Bargaining Training Programme, jointly organised by Bangladesh’s Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) and the US government, at a Dhaka hotel.
“In the interest of justice, the Appellate Division can take time for its convenience, to dispose of the appeals against ICT verdicts,” said the law minister.
“The stipulation of time-frame in the law is a directive, and not mandatory,” he added.
According to the amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, passed in Parliament in February, the Appellate Division should dispose of an appeal within 45 days from the date of its filing. If necessary, the time can be extended by another 15 days.
Speaking at the programme, US deputy chief of mission, Jon Danilowicz, emphasised the importance of the rule of law in Bangladesh, and that the introduction of a plea bargaining system would speed up the pursuit of justice, on behalf of victims, and the citizens of Bangladesh, in general.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
A team of two prosecutors from the US department of justice, and a senior US judge, provided plea bargain training for 25 judges, 10 prosecutors, and 5 defence attorneys, during June 17-19.
This was the first such programme in Bangladesh, providing training to representatives from across the judicial spectrum.
The three-day “train the trainer” programme focused on introducing the basic concepts of a plea bargain system to judges and lawyers, who will then conduct training for other Bangladeshi judges and lawyers, through JATI.
The training consisted of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops, in which, the participants practised new skills and received feedback from the team of experienced visiting US instructors. US senior district court judge George Steeh, a respected judge who was appointed to the bench by former president Bill Clinton, travelled
|to Bangladesh to participate in the programme.
The Plea Bargaining Training Program is part of the US Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training’s (OPDAT) worldwide efforts to enhance the rule of law and the effectiveness of the justice systems in partner countries. OPDAT currently has two American prosecutors working full-time in Bangladesh, to conduct training programmes like this, and to provide technical assistance related to Bangladesh’s laws on criminal procedure, financial crimes, and terrorism.
-With The Independent input
