HC asks 2 ministries to clarify 'vagueness'

The High Court yesterday sought explanation from two ministries of an ambiguity of the Children Act-2013 regarding holding trial of an adult accused in a case filed under this law.

The court ordered secretaries to the legislative and parliamentary affairs division of the law and social welfare ministries to submit explanations by September 7. Justice M Enayetur Rahmim and Justice HBM Hassan also fixed September 7 for passing the next order.

Under the act, only child courts are empowered to try the cases in which children are either victims or witnesses, but it is not specified in the act that which court will try an adult if he or she is accused under this law. After finding the vagueness while hearing bail petitions of four adults accused under this law, the HC bench in March asked for explanations from four judges of child courts in Dhaka, Rangpur and Cox's Bazar.

The HC also issued separate rules upon the government to explain why the accused should not get bail in the cases filed under the act. In their explanations, the four said there was no specific provision in the Children Act-2013 about the bail process of such accused.