Inordinately lengthy trials!
We have highlighted the plight of the accused in this country before; how many of them languish for years on end in prison because the trial process takes seemingly forever to conclude. In the latest episode of this sad saga, the High Court (HC) has asked for case documents of 20 accused and ordered jail authorities to produce them before it this month. Indeed, the stories of some of these people are mindboggling. For instance, Nazrul Islam has been incarcerated for 12 years now in Mymensingh jail and has appeared in court 63 times; another prisoner Selim Mia has been in and out of court 122 times in about 12 years till November last year.
The Honourable Chief Justice himself has made mention of the lengthy trial process more than once. There is something not quite right if the justice system has to suffer due to longwinded process, including process of investigation, which militates against timely conclusion of the case, and which ultimately ends up badly for a lot of accused who cannot afford legal assistance. Although the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office has been offering free legal services to those deemed financially insolvent and sent letters to that effect to all 68 jails, how many inmates actually know of this service? There are obviously lapses on the part of jail authorities too.
We thank the HC for this intervention, which came to know of the plight of so many through media reports. But it is imperative that the authorities fix the complications that exist in the criminal justice system so that no one ends up wasting valuable years in jail.
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