Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has said that the judiciary, like any other public institution, can be criticised fairly if situation demands.
But criticism done in a wrong way might do the judiciary great harm, he said while addressing a workshop styled in Dhaka yesterday. “It is a matter of contentment that the people at large continue to hold the judiciary in high esteem despite its shortcomings,” said the chief justice, adding: “Every decision in an ideal country must be made under certain disciplines and the country should be governed by the rule of law.”
“If we examine how technological advancements are transforming how the legal system is functioning, we will see that the information and communication technologies are playing a bigger role in the administration of courts, approaches to research, functions of lawyers’ offices and legal education,” said the chief justice.
“It is evident that institutions such as legislatures, courts and regulatory agencies are required to examine the constant interaction between the forces of technological changes and social attitudes. This interface between law and technology is a vast and constantly growing subject of legal practice as well as scholarly study.”
Surendra Kumar Sinha said information and communication technologies should not be viewed as a panacea for all problems because many fundamental and structural measures would be needed to be taken before technology could play its part. “In these days of the digital era, we cannot improve institutional management capacity of the judiciary without integration of a sustainable and cost-effective information technology system.”
Terming Masdar Hossain case a historic verdict, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said some review was needed to adjust the balance between the executive body and the judiciary.
Law Minister Anisul Huq assured that all sorts of assistance would be provided for the development of the judiciary.
The state minister for the ICT Divison said materialising the “Digital Bangladesh” goal without an effective judiciary was not possible at all.
UNDP Resident Representative Robert Watkins said a technology-based judiciary would bring a meaningful change to all its operations in efficient ways.
