Context
Access to justice and rule of law remain a major challenge in Bangladesh, particularly for the poor and vulnerable. While most Bangladeshis have trust in the justice system, only 13 per cent of the people turn to the formal justice system to seek justice. There are multiple reasons for this - some of the laws on which the criminal justice system (CJS) is based, date back to colonial times. The outdated processes provide room for corruption, undermine the image of the CJS and prevent the reduction of the huge case backlog and prison overcrowding.
The judiciary is currently overburdened with 3.4 million cases. The National Justice Audit Bangladesh shows that the rate of case inflow is much higher than the rate of case disposal. The overcrowding in prisons, which are on average at 200 per cent of their capacity, is further exacerbated by this. With approximately 80 per cent under-trial prisoners, it creates a challenge to provide proactive legal assistance, rehabilitation services and to ensure human rights.
The Government of Bangladesh acknowledges the importance of timely and quality service to the citizens and has taken several steps in recent years towards reforms in the judiciary and the prison system, including directives from the Supreme Court for more efficient case management.
The reform approaches have been piloted successfully at the district level through Paralegal Advisory Service (PAS); Restorative Justice; rehabilitation as part of the prison system; and improved inter-institutional cooperation through inter-ministerial meetings and Case Coordination Committees (CCCs). These piloted approaches of inter-institutional cooperation are being gradually adopted by the justice sector.
Objective
The justice sector adopts new reform approaches based on the best practices and key approaches of institutional cooperation.
