Desk Report,
Agreement reached on permanent High Court bench in divisional cities: Ali Riaz
All political parties have agreed to set up one or more benches in each divisional city in addition to the permanent bench of the High Court in Dhaka, said Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission. He said, “The political parties have agreed to amend the current provision of presidential pardon. The new provision will allow the President to pardon criminals based on the opinions of the affected families.”
Agreement reached on permanent High Court bench in divisional cities: Ali Riaz
Ali Riaz told reporters after the ninth day of the second phase of the Consensus Commission’s discussions with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday.
Regarding the presidential pardon, Professor Ali Riaz said, the issue of presidential pardon is very important. The issue of presidential pardon has been widely abused for the last 16 years or so. Every political party has realized that the issue of presidential pardon in Article 49 of the Constitution needs to be amended. There were some recommendations from the Judicial Reform Commission in this regard. He said, all political parties have agreed to the recommendation to amend Article 49 of the Constitution and include the issue of pardon in the Constitution through the powers of the President and all executive powers.
The President can grant pardons by following this rule (Article 49 of the Constitution), said Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission. He said, in order to ensure justice in this case, the opinion of the affected families should be taken before sending the pardon to the President. If a new law is added to the Constitution by amending Article 49 of the Constitution, the misuse of this law politically in the past will be stopped.
Stating that the political parties have agreed on the decentralization of the judiciary, Professor Ali Riaz said, there has been a consensus to amend Article 100 of the Constitution. It has been said that the permanent seat of the Supreme Court will be in the capital. However, outside the capital, there will be one or more benches in each division on the advice of the Chief Justice. That is, the permanent bench of the High Court will be in Dhaka as well as in each divisional city—all political parties have agreed on this issue.
