Joint dist judges to hear cheque dishonour cases, says High Court

The High Court on Sunday issued directions that from now on, only the joint district and sessions judges' courts can hear the cheque dishonour cases.

And an aggrieved person can file an appeal petition with the district and sessions judge's court against an order of the joint district and sessions judge's court, the HC said in a verdict.

The HC also asked the lower court concerned to transfer all the cheque dishonour cases to the joint district and sessions judges' courts within 15 days.

The High Court bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the directions after disposing of three writ petitions filed in this regard.

AAM Ziaur Rahman, a resident of Chapainawabganj district, filed the writ petitions challenging some provisions of the existing cheque dishonour law on October 18 in 2018.

Barrister Mohammad Humaun Kabir Pallab took part in the hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner, while assistant attorney general Syeda Sabina Ahmed Molly represented the state.

Later, Mohammad Humaun Kabir said, "There were some discriminatory provisions in the existing law governing the trial of cheque dishonor cases. District and sessions judges, additional district and sessions judges and joint district and sessions judges could hear the cheque dishonour cases under the law. It caused a problem in filing an appeal against a decree of the court concerned. So, we filed the writ petitions with the High Court."

"To file an appeal against the decision of the joint district and sessions judge's court in cheque dishonour cases, one had to move the district and sessions judge's court while those seeking to file appeals against the decision of the district and sessions judge's court had to move the High Court. But now all the cases would be heard by the joint district and sessions judges' courts," the lawyer added.

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