High Court orders measures for speedy trial of rape cases

The High Court has ordered the women and children repression prevention tribunals to prioritise trial of rape and murder after rape cases to judge them within the 180-day deadline.

“It’s unfortunate that the trial doesn’t end fast after rape of 3 to 4 years old children,” a judge at the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman said on Thursday.

The bench issued seven instructions in an order on petitions by four people, who are accused of rape and sought bail as the related tribunals could not finish trial within the stipulated time.

The High Court granted bail to two of them and rejected the petitions of the two other accused, according to the lawyers for them.

Besides prioritising the rape cases, the High Court ordered the tribunal judges to hear the cases every working day without a break until the end.

It ordered formation of district-level monitoring committees with additional district magistrates, additional superintendents of police, representatives of civil surgeons and public prosecutors to ensure security and presence of witnesses on fixed dates.

These committees will be held accountable if they fail to present any witness without a proper reason.

The committees will also ensure issuance of summons on witnesses at the shortest possible time.

Official witnesses like magistrates, police personnel, doctors, and other experts will face action for skipping hearings once summonsed.

The High Court also observed that the government should soon enact a law to ensure security of witnesses.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who represented the state, said a judge should be kept standby to ensure medical test of alleged victims in the shortest possible time.

“And the trial should be held immediately following the reports. Such propensity (of rape) cannot be checked without speedy trial,” he remarked.