Clicky
National, Back Page

JS passes bill allowing courts to run trial proceedings digitally


Bangladeshpost
Published : 08 Jul 2020 10:14 PM | Updated : 03 Sep 2020 08:37 PM

A Bill was passed in Parliament on Wednesday to empower courts of the country to run trial proceedings through videoconferences and other digital means, reports UNB.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, move the 'Adalat Kartik Tathiya Projukti Bebohar Bill 2020' in the House. It was passed by voice vote.

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 ordinance as the Parliament was not in session.

The ordinance was approved by the cabinet on May 7 where the country was in 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 through videoconferences and other digital means keeping the accused in jails, the lawyers in their residences and the witnesses in other places during the coronavirus crisis.