Bangladesh top court orders special judge courts to hold virtual hearings in pandemic

The apex court has directed divisional special judge and special judge courts to conduct virtual proceedings to only dispose of bail and other urgent criminal applications amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 April 2021, 04:35 PM
Updated : 22 April 2021, 04:35 PM

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday issued the directive in line with the chief justice's orders.

The special judges must remotely hold sessions to dispense with bail and other urgent criminal plea on a daily basis, except weekly and public holidays, following the Supreme Court's guidelines on the use of information technology and related matters, the notice said.

The order will take effect on Sunday and will remain in force until further notice.

As the coronavirus continues to run rampant across Bangladesh, the government has imposed lockdown restrictions in two phases, initially ordering the closure of shopping malls, shops, hotels and restaurants from Apr 5 to Apr 11.

In the wake of the government's decision, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain ordered the country's courts to operate on a limited scale.

The administration of the Supreme Court subsequently issued three separate notices in this regard on the orders of the chief justice.

As per the notifications, only four benches of the Appellate Division, Chamber Court and the High Court would conduct virtual proceedings from Apr 6.

The Chief Judicial Magistrates Court and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court would continue case proceedings on a limited scale but the other lower courts and tribunals will remain closed.

Later on Apr 13, it was announced that the Appellate Division would hear cases virtually on a limited scale.

Meanwhile, since April 12, all lower courts and tribunals in the country, except the special judge courts, have been hearing virtual bail applications and urgent criminal applications virtually.