Chief Justice to Establish Dedicated High Court Bench for Expedited Trial of Women and Child Abuse Cases
Photo Collected
Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has announced the formation of a dedicated High Court bench to expedite the hearing of death reference cases and appeals related to crimes against women and children. The move comes in response to growing public concern over the protracted judicial process following trial court convictions, most notably the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in Dhaka’s Pallabi area.
Attorney General Md. Ruhul Quddus Kazal confirmed the development following a briefing at his office on Sunday. He explained that under current legal procedures, any death sentence handed down by a trial court requires confirmation by the High Court, a process involving death reference proceedings alongside regular jail appeals and miscellaneous petitions. The new bench is scheduled to commence operations next Sunday.
Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, the Attorney General emphasized that justice remains incomplete until a verdict is finalized and implemented by the Supreme Court. He noted that while trial courts often deliver landmark judgments in heinous cases, the subsequent delays in the appellate process frequently undermine public confidence and fail to deliver the sense of closure sought by victims’ families and society at large.
The Attorney General revealed that he had formally brought these concerns to the Chief Justice’s attention during an open court session, urging the judiciary to take proactive steps to address the backlog of cases involving sexual violence and crimes against children. He underscored that the Chief Justice acknowledged the public’s anxiety as both reasonable and valid, prompting the decision to establish the specialized bench to ensure a more efficient administration of justice.
0%
0%
0%
0%
