Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed said on Sunday that the country’s judiciary has yet to achieve full independence, despite having adequate facilities, reports the Daily Sun.
“I had to break my silence at the beginning of the judicial reform process. For the last one and a half years, I have been striving to ensure the judiciary can function at its full capacity,” he said.
The chief justice was delivering his farewell address to district judges, metropolitan session judges, chief judicial magistrates and chief metropolitan magistrates of the country at an event at the Supreme Court Auditorium, as he is set to go on retirement on 27 December.
Refaat Ahmed outlined various judicial reform measures implemented following the fall of the Hasina government and provided guidance on ongoing reform initiatives.
He praised the judiciary for the case disposal rate despite an acute manpower shortage, calling it “incredible.” “I have taken steps to formulate policies that will assist future judges,” he said, adding that dishonest judges must be brought under strict action.
Shedding light on future prospects over judicial reforms, the chief justice said, "We have to get out of the partisan mentality."
Regarding the Supreme Court Secretariat, he said the main challenge now will be to transform the separate secretariat into a truly effective, accountable and productive institution.
Refaat Ahmed, the 25th chief justice of the country, was appointed on 10 August 2024, five days after the Awami League regime was ousted in the face of a mass uprising. On 11 August, he took his oath of office.
After Hasina fled the country on 5 August 2024, six judges of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, including the then chief justice, resigned. Then, Refaat Ahmed was appointed as the chief justice.
This marked the first instance in the country’s history where a judge was elevated directly from the High Court Division to the position of chief justice rather than the Appellate Division.
However, the next chief justice will be appointed from the Appellate Division, and discussions are underway regarding who will become the 26th chief justice.
Traditionally, the President appoints a judge of the Appellate Division as chief justice. Currently, apart from Justice Refaat, six judges serve in the Appellate Division.
Among them, the names of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Zubair Rahman Chowdhury – both senior judges – are being most frequently discussed.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
