The cabinet has approved the final draft of the Mobile Court (Amendment) Act 2015, where the provision of punishment on the basis of witness accounts and evidence even if an accused does not plead guilty has been included.
The previous law did not allow mobile courts to punish an accused if he did not plead guilty. The amendment was approved at the weekly meeting of the cabinet held yesterday at the parliament with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the amendment to the act would enable mobile court magistrates to sentence someone based on accounts of witnesses as well as evidence even if he refuses to admit guilt. “Magistrates will also be able to take help of technology and seek expert advice while making judgements,” he said.
The cabinet secretary also said there was no scope for any clash between the roles of judicial and executive magistrates when mobile courts would carry out operations.
