Judiciary beyond poor's reach: CJ

Chief Justice KM Hasan yesterday said the judiciary is easily accessible to the rich but beyond the reach of the poor.

"Providing legal aid is not merely a right to the poor but a moral obligation of a welfare state," he told a workshop jointly organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Canadian International Development Agency (Cida).

The chief justice said the poor are deprived of the benefit of the legal system due to their financial insolvency, ignorance and backwardness.

Held at the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) auditorium, the workshop was presided over by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed.

Among others, Law Secretary Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Director of Legal Aid Nasrin Begum, Cida Resident Director James Baker and Robert Beadle of the Canadian High Commission also spoke.

Justice Hasan said the judiciary will be in danger if legal aid could not be ensured for the poor and disadvantaged section of society.

He said the success of the legal aid programmes for the poor will largely depend on the united role of the judges, lawyers and members of the general public.

Giving statistics about the success of the programme, Justice Hasan said legal aid was provided in 8,208 cases in 61 districts. These include 1,296 civil suits, 915 criminal cases, 886 family disputes and 111 miscellaneous cases.

Moudud said during the last one year litigant public received legal aids in 8,208 cases because of sincere efforts of the government.

He said the government took initiatives for law reforms to make legal system time-befitting, keeping in view the aspects of human rights.