Judge shortage hampers Ctg court activities

CHITTAGONG, Aug 24(BSS) : Two Chittagong Judge's Courts have been struggling to dispose of a huge backlog of cases for two months as the judges of the two main courts went into retirement.

The court sources said the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court (CMSJC) and the Chittagong District and Sessions Judge's Court (CDSJC) have now nearly 0.18 million cases under disposal. The  sources said the judge of CMSJC SM Mujibur Rahman got retired from his service on July 10, while the judge of CDSJC Quddus Meah on June 11.

With the retirement of the judges of the two main courts, a total of .017 million cases have been pending for months with these two courts, resulting in immense sufferings to the litigants. Four courts among 21 under CMSJC have no judges while nine courts among 51 under CDSJC are now limping without judges, court sources said.

CMSJC has now 1739 ready cases for trial but those cannot be sent to different trial courts for want of judge.

Chittagong Metropolitan Public Prosecutor (PP) Mohammad Fakhruddin Chowdhury said CMSJC can take some specific cases into cognisance but it is not possible to deliver verdict with an acting judge. "As a result, the cases cannot be prepared for trial and the acting judge cannot deliver any specific order for sending the cases to different trial courts. He only carries out his routine work," Fakhruddin added.

Demanding immediate appointment of a regular judge for CDSJC, Advocate Abul Hashem, PP of the court, said they cannot proceed with the trial of many important cases for want of a full-fledged judge.

General Secretary of the Chittagong District Bar Association Advocate Abdur Rashid said the association met the law minister in May last for resolving the problem but any change is yet to come.

Meanwhile, registrar of the International Crimes Tribunal AKM Nasiruddin Mahmud has been appointed as the judge of CDSJC and Satkhira District Judge Obaidus Subhan for CMSJC but the two newly appointed judges are yet to take over their new assignment, the court sources claimed.