Accelerate the judicial process

The country is currently experiencing a surge in corruption. Every time you open a newspaper, there are reports of illicit wealth accumulation, falsification of asset information, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, and corruption in government procurement, among other crimes. These allegations are being filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Lawsuits are also being filed against the accused. However, due to infrastructural weaknesses, the case processes are not progressing. Judicial proceedings are at a standstill, resulting in a backlog of cases.

According to news published in the newspaper on Sunday, July 7, corrupt individuals are taking advantage of the slow pace of the judicial process. Many criminals are even fleeing the country due to the sluggish judicial proceedings. Most of these corrupt individuals are becoming reckless under political protection.

Experts say that one of the main purposes of the judicial process is to keep crime under control within society and the state. If the judicial process is ongoing, criminals are somewhat kept within the bounds of the law. Conversely, if the judicial process is disrupted or delayed, doubts arise about the possibility of obtaining justice.

The main pillars of a modern state are its law, judiciary, and judicial process. If the law is not properly enforced and the judicial process is not maintained, it clearly indicates the failure of the state. Bangladesh's legal and judicial processes are questioned in various ways. It goes without saying that the increasing corruption in Bangladesh is due to these legal weaknesses. Recent incidents have shown that those who are supposed to uphold the law have themselves violated it. As a result, the public is losing trust in the legal and judicial processes.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer and President of Ain o Salish Kendra, ZI Khan Panna, said that there are numerous cases against corrupt individuals pending in court. However, we do not see any significant figures being punished. Due to the delays in the judicial process, the corrupt are becoming more reckless. If the pace of adjudication in corruption cases is not increased, the judiciary's weakness will become evident to the public.

To restore public trust in the legal and judicial processes, the government needs to be more proactive. Regarding the slow pace of the judicial process, it has been noted that for hearing corruption cases, there are only 13 judges in Dhaka and 10 benches in the higher courts with jurisdiction over such cases. On behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), there are 11 and 26 lawyers handling cases respectively, most of whom are part-time. As a result, the judicial process is not progressing at the same rate as the increasing number of corruption allegations and subsequent cases.

Regarding the need to expedite corruption cases, prominent lawyer Dr. Shahdeen Malik told the media that due to the lack of a permanent cadre of lawyers, the government’s cases are not being handled as effectively as they should be. It is not feasible for the 25-26 lawyers currently representing the ACC to resolve four thousand cases. In our legal and judicial system, the budget allocation is very low. He recommends creating a lawyer cadre, increasing budget allocation for the Ministry of Law, appointing more judges and benches in the Supreme Court, and expanding the ACC’s own team of lawyers.