Supreme Court Secretariat is on verge of being established: CJ

Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed said that the judiciary of Bangladesh is on the verge of establishing the Supreme Court Secretariat. A separate secretariat will help ensure the institutional independence and autonomy of the judiciary. The proposed Supreme Court Secretariat will ensure transparency in judicial policy formulation and implementation, adequate budget allocation, infrastructure development, and the transfer and promotion of judges.

He made these remarks as the chief guest during a seminar in Rangpur on Saturday titled "Ensuring the Independence of the Judiciary and Enhancing Efficiency in Judicial Services."

In his speech, the Chief Justice said, "Through the phased implementation of the roadmap for judicial reforms, the judiciary of Bangladesh is playing a significant role in building a new Bangladesh after July 2024. Through the organization of reform roadshows and regional seminars in Dhaka and the divisional cities, the district judiciaries across the country are implementing their respective reform activities, which are positively contributing to the improvement of the quality of judicial services." He added, "Judicial reform is not only the key to the sustainability of sectoral reforms but has also become a symbol of the word 'reform' itself. The judiciary is the only branch of the state that has been actively striving for its own internal reforms for decades. At the heart of this claim is the ability and authority to determine and implement its own reform agenda. In the past eight months, this effort has gained unprecedented momentum. Now the goal is to achieve that purpose and ensure its sustainability in the future. As an institution, we have never come so close to the goal of full separation of powers. If this opportunity is somehow wasted, it will be extremely harmful to the dignity, integrity, and relevance of the judiciary."

UNDP and the Supreme Court jointly organized the regional seminar. The event was chaired by Justice Zafar Ahmed of the High Court Division.