Civil justice overhaul in motion to end delays
The government has taken a series of reform measures to reduce the longstanding backlog of civil cases and make the judicial process faster, more efficient and accessible, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Wednesday.
He made the remarks at a seminar titled “Addressing Delays in the Disposal of Civil Cases: Shared Experiences of Bangladesh and Japan” held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka.
The Law and Justice Division and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) jointly organised the seminar, where officials from Bangladesh and Japan discussed ways to improve the disposal of civil cases.
Md Asaduzzaman said many civil cases in Bangladesh have remained unresolved for years, causing prolonged suffering for litigants and creating additional pressure on the judicial system.
“Various reform initiatives are being implemented to make the judicial process faster, more efficient and more people-friendly. Backlog of cases could be reduced and the efficiency of the judicial process enhanced through the exchange of domestic and international experiences and mutual cooperation,” he said.
The minister said the government is working to modernise the judiciary, expand Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, introduce technology-driven judicial services and simplify court procedures.
He said cooperation and experience-sharing with Japan’s Ministry of Justice and other international partners would contribute significantly to strengthening Bangladesh’s judicial system.
“Such joint initiatives would create new opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the two countries, which would make a positive contribution to enhancing the efficiency of the judicial process,” he added.
Speaking as the special guest, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Department of Japan’s Ministry of Justice Kazunori Nose assured that Japan would continue supporting Bangladesh in improving judicial capacity and strengthening the justice system.
Senior Assistant Secretary of the Law and Justice Division Syed Md Shafayet and Professor Wakazono Rei of Japan’s Ministry of Justice presented keynote papers at the seminar.
Project Director of the relevant project and Additional Secretary of the Law and Justice Division Md Khademul Qayes chaired the programme.
The seminar focused on addressing delays in civil case disposal by sharing experiences between Bangladesh and Japan. Officials said greater use of technology, institutional reforms and alternative dispute resolution could help reduce pressure on courts and improve access to justice.
