CJ’s farewell address Dec 14

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed will deliver his farewell speech to the nation’s judges on Dec 14, ahead of his retirement later that month.

He is set to retire on Dec 27 as he reaches the constitutional retirement age of 67, the maximum age for serving in this role.

A media statement issued on Thursday by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court said this will be his final address to judicial officers across Bangladesh before stepping down.

It added that a major session has been scheduled at 3pm at the Supreme Court auditorium.

Senior judicial officers from district courts nationwide will attend, including all district judges, metropolitan sessions judges, chief judicial magistrates, and chief metropolitan magistrates.

Syed Refaat assumed office as the country’s 25th chief justice following the July Uprising of 2024.

A senior judge of the High Court Division, he was appointed on Aug 10 last year and sworn in the following day.

Per the statement, the chief justice will reflect on reforms undertaken over the past 18 months under the judicial reform roadmap he announced after taking office, as well as prospects for the future of the judiciary.

“Focus will be on ongoing judicial reforms, including the expansion of technology-based services, enhancement of professional skills of judicial officers, ensuring transparency in court operations, capacity-building for subordinate court judges, facilitating easier access to justice for litigants, and guidance to reduce case backlogs,” it read.

Earlier, on Sept 21, after taking office, the chief justice unveiled the roadmap for judicial reform to the country’s judicial officers.

The plan included establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary, enacting clear laws for appointing judges to higher courts, and introducing measures to prevent corruption.

Over the past one and a half years, the judiciary has implemented reforms aligned with that roadmap, the press note said.

After long-standing demands, the interim government approved the creation of a separate judicial secretariat on Nov 20.

The proposal was finalised and endorsed in principle at the same day’s meeting of the Advisory Council.