Political rifts will only hurt the judiciary
Outgoing Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique yesterday said it does no good to the judiciary when political rifts leave the streets and enter the courts.
"We need to bear in mind that divisions and discords among the lawyers and the resulting reactions harm the judiciary. If political ideologies are implemented politically and the courts are kept at a safe distance, the judiciary feels comfortable," he said.
He made the remark in a farewell speech at his courtroom in the Supreme Court's Appellate Division.
The chief justice, who will retire on September 25, appeared in the courtroom for hearing and disposing of cases on his last working day yesterday, as the court will go on a 37-day annual vacation from today.
The farewell, which took place after he concluded the court proceedings, was accorded by Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Supreme Court Bar Association President Md Momtaz Uddin Fakir and its Secretary Abdun Nur Dulal in a jam-packed courtroom.
"It cannot be said that the state and the judiciary are operating in the right way if the laws crush the poor and the rich crush the laws. A strong and independent judiciary is indispensable for a strong democratic system," Hasan Foez said.
"The desire to bring about changes in the judiciary was roused in me by people's growing demand for solving problems. Perhaps I could just create a stir. The steps I have taken will contribute to solving their problems but solutions to all the problems are not possible overnight," he said.
Talking about solutions, he said finding comprehensive solutions requires a lot of initiatives, including coordinated approaches and a commitment to rid social, political and state institutions of corruption.
The chief justice urged the politically affiliated lawyers to think about the colossal sacrifices made for this country at least 10 times before they take any decision that may damage the image of the judiciary.
"If your decisions are wrong, the state and judiciary will be harmed ultimately. The learned lawyers must take a stand against those forces which weaken the judiciary and impede the establishment of democracy and the rule of law," he said.
Hasan Foez said the judiciary is the protector of the fundamental rights of the people as well as the constitution. The judges have to be brave, liberal, patient, thoughtful, kind and prudent to ensure justice, he added.
The chief justice said independence of the judiciary is essential for establishing participatory democracy, the rule of law, and the rights of the weaker sections of society.
All the judges and lawyers of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court were present at the programme.
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