A Bill was passed in parliament on Wednesday to empower courts of the country to run trial proceedings via video conferences and other digital means.
Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq moved the “Adalat Kartik Tathiya Projukti Bebohar Bill 2020” in the House. It was passed by voice vote, reports UNB.
This law is already promulgated by the president to reduce the piling of cases in the courts during the general holidays enforced for controlling coronavirus as an ordinance as the parliament was not in session.
The ordinance was approved by the Cabinet on May 7 where the country was on general holidays since March 27.
According to the previous law, the trial proceedings are run in physical presence of judges, counsels and witnesses in the court.
By this ordinance, it was possible to run the proceedings during the Covid-19 period when social distancing was a must.
It was possible for the judges to run the trial proceedings of the cases via video conferences and other digital means keeping the accused in jails, the lawyers in their residences, and the witnesses in other places during the coronavirus crisis.
