New CJ seeks depoliticized judiciary as anti-govt lawyers boycott felicitation
Staff Reporter :
Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan on Sunday assured that he will try his best to ensure a corruption-free judiciary. At the same time, the Chief Justice said that he wants the judiciary and the courts not to be politicized in any manner.
The newly appointed Chief Justice said this at the felicitation accorded him at the Chief Justice’s Courtroom by the Attorney General’s office and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Sunday morning.
In the felicitation, the Chief Justice further said, “We want to create a long-term judicial plan to modernize our judicial system and make it accessible to common people.”
Obaidul Hassan took oath as the 24th Chief Justice of the country on September 26. The Supreme Court was on a vacation at that time. The court opened on Sunday, October 8, after the vacation.
Earlier, on September 12, the Ministry of Law issued a notification regarding the appointment of Obaidul Hassan, the senior judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, as the Chief Justice of the country.
As per custom, the Chief Justice was felicitated in the courtroom on Sunday.
At the felicitation, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and SCBA President Momtazuddin Fakir spoke about the working life of the Chief Justice. Judges of the Appellate and High Court Divisions, lawyers, SC officials and others were present at that time.
The Chief Justice said, “I want that the judiciary and the courts should not be politicised in any manner. …I want to say one thing, even if it is not pleasant, that making adverse and arbitrary comments about judges and courts without knowing very well does not bear any sign of civilisation at all.”
“I also want to say, in the language of former Chief Justice Habibur Rahman, that the judges are not above criticism. There is a scope for doing decent criticism in a civilised world.”
He said the right to criticise judgements is a part of freedom of expression, which has been guaranteed under the Constitution subject to reasonable restrictions by the law.
Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan called for criticism after being well-informed, instead of arbitrary criticism in the name of independent journalism.
“He [Justice Habibur Rahman] had also said criticism needs to be done after being well-informed, instead of arbitrary criticism, in order to uphold the image of independent journalism.”
But the court’s hand is long enough to punish those who abuse the independence, whoever they are – members of news media, or lawyers or any other entity.
The Chief Justice requested journalists to take sufficient care when reporting news about the court and judges, as judges cannot make any statement to the media.
Newspapers are a mirror of a country’s society, and the general public gets an idea of the courts through authentic reporting in the print and electronic media by journalists working on the court premises.
He said, “As the judges cannot make any statement facing the journalists, therefore, I request journalists to maintain appropriate caution in making news about the courts and judges.”
He said that when needed, the journalists can get information from the Supreme Court’s public relations officer or from officials concerned about relevant issues.
Meanwhile, United Lawyers Front, a platform of the anti-government lawyers including the pro-BNP lawyers, boycotted the felicitation of Justice Obaidul Hassan in protest of his receiving greetings from Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League men after being appointed as the Chief Justice.
They (ULF) also held a black flag rally protesting the felicitation program, on the SCBA premises.
