Access to justice basic right of citizens: Anisul

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said on Wednesday access to justice is one of the basic rights of citizens and government thinks all the citizens shall have this with fair trial, reports BSS.

"It is difficult to ensure legal advice and representation for the people, who are still lagging behind socio-economically in a developing country like ours. For this, the present government formulated Legal Aid Act, 2000, to provide access to justice to poor and helpless people through district legal aid offices," he said.

The minister said these while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a training workshop titled 'Restorative Justice (RJ) Approach in Mediation' for legal aid officials at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) here in the capital.

Presided over by Law and Justice Division Secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Md Zahirul Haque, the function was addressed by JATI director general Justice Khondker Musa Khaled, joint secretary Umme Qulsum, National Legal Aid Services Organisation director Md Aminul Islam and GIZ project Bangladesh deputy national project director Promita Sen Gupta, among others.

Anisul Huq said RJ is one of the ways to resolve dispute through mediation.

"We resolve dispute here through participatory alternative ways. Through this process, we can resolve local disputes, compensate the victims and give priority to lessen the harm," he added.