Poverty, delay in justice deprive the marginalised
Poverty and delay in delivery of justice mainly deprive the grassroots people of legal support, speakers said at a discussion yesterday.
As a result, the marginalised resort to village arbitrations but they do not get justice there because arbitrations are influenced by politics and money, they said.
The discussion was organised by Bangla daily Prothom Alo in association with Brotee, an NGO working with UKaid-funded project Community Legal Services, at the newspaper's office.
Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, member of Law Commission, said shortage of judges was a major cause of delay in justice. “We already informed the government of the reasons and called for recruitment of a sufficient number of judges, but it didn't give us any feedback,” he said.
He also said 1,500 judges worked at courts across the country while the number had to be doubled.
Prof Mizanur Rahman, former chairman of National Human Rights Commission, said justice for the marginalised would be enhanced if each lawyer filed some cases per year for the people and fought for them.
Meghna Guhathakurta, executive director of Research Initiatives Bangladesh, said legal service providers need have eagerness to provide the services, and people had to be aware that they could take the service.
Sara Hossain, honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust, said junior lawyers could be included providing such services while the Supreme Court need give more emphasis on the cases filed for public welfare.
Sharmeen Murshid, chief executive officer of Brotee; Abdul Quayum, associate editor of Prothom Alo; Fawzia Karim Firoze, president of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association; Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, associate professor of law at Dhaka University, and Jerome Sayre, team leader of CLS, also spoke.
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