People to see case updates, verdicts online
As part of a move to reform the judiciary, the Supreme Court has started updating its website with details of the cases heard and disposed at the Appellate and the High Court divisions every day.
The SC website http://www.supremecourt.gov.bd/ also contains the daily cause list of both its divisions with the names of the benches that will hear cases.
The apex court initiated the move in October on an experimental basis.
A Supreme Court official told The Daily Star last week that the site would take a good shape in a few weeks.
The official said the outcome of a day’s hearing will be uploaded on the site within hours after the court order. It will help the litigants to decide immediately on their next course of action.
One can also download almost all the existing laws of Bangladesh from the site.
“The chief justice has taken the initiative to reform the judiciary,” said SC Registrar M Asharaful.
He hoped it would restore people’s trust in the judiciary and reduce sufferings of the litigants.
Preferring anonymity, an SC official said, the apex court requested the law ministry to allocate Tk 5 crore for upgrading the site with details of cases at lower courts, and the ministry responded positively.
The CJ also held meetings with lower court judges and directed them to dispose of cases in a short time.
On October 30, he instructed judicial magistrates to dispose of all cases filed before 2005 holding quick hearings on a priority basis.
Some 16 lakh cases now remain pending with lower courts across the country.
According to SC sources, over 7,000 cases await trial at the Appellate Division, and 3,53,000 at the High Court Division.
Taking into account the pressure on the HC Division, Justice Khairul directed the SC registrar to keep the registration section open on Saturday.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman termed CJ’s initiatives unique, and said they would be good for the judiciary.
The next chief justice should continue the reform work, he added. Justice Khairul will retire on May 18 next year.
About upgrading the SC website, he said it will help keep the court records updated and ensure people’s easy access to them.
SC and HC judges and their personal assistants have recently been equipped with over 300 computers.
