Staff Reporter
Judiciary should be independent through its separation from executive and legislature to ensure safety for the future generation, said speakers at a round table yesterday.They demanded judicial independence at the meeting on entitled ‘Initiatives with a view to ensuring independence of judiciary”, organised by Shushashoner jonno Nagorik (Shujan), at the National Press Club yesterday.
Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain: “Judicial independence means appointing judges through legal process and ensuring fair justice. But we are suffering from cancer due to politicisation. Skill, talent and experience are not cared in appointing judges. People are joining as judges through their partisan identity.”
“We are talking anbout judicial independence even after 4 decades of our independence. We have achieved independence thorough our blood. Supreme Court is the guardian of this independence. So the apex court must be let act freely,” he said.
Judiciary was entirely separated from executive in 1972 but later in 1975 power giving promotion, transfer order, discharging and appointment etc was bestowed on the president.
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said judicial independence should be ensured for the sake of overall development and ensuring rule of law in the country, Besides, democracy become stronger if judiciary id independent.
“Our judiciary is should be poverty friendly in stead of being power-friendly,” he said.
Brigadier General Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain said: “People are deprived if judiciary is not free.”
The speakers in the round table also criticised abuse of defamation law. Open discussions are needed to discuss freedom of judiciary. But this can not be possible due to abuse of the law. Law ministry often does not obey instructions of the Supreme Court but in that case rules are not issued for defaming the apex court, they alleged.
