Chief Justice urges reforms in family courts for timely justice

Bangladesh's judiciary is undergoing a significant transformation as part of an ambitious reform agenda aimed at enhancing efficiency, accountability, and citizen-centric service delivery. Hounourable Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed made this observation at a national workshop titled "Addressing Procedural Bottlenecks in Family Courts for Timely Justice", organised by BRAC's Social Empowerment and Legal Protection (SELP) Programme on Monday, 14 July, at the BRAC Centre Auditorium in Dhaka.

"The legal landscape of Bangladesh is being reoriented to better serve its people," noted the Chief Justice, highlighting that recent legislative reforms go beyond modernisation to prioritise accessibility and responsiveness. One of the most consequential development is the amendment to the Legal Aid Act, which mandates compulsory pre-case mediation-marking a decisive shift from adversarial litigation to consensual dispute resolution.

Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Honourable Chief Justice of Bangladesh, attended the event as Chief Guest. Justice Farah Mahbub of the Appellate Division participated as Special Guest. The workshop was also graced by Asif Saleh, Executive Director of BRAC, and Shashwatee Biplob, Associate Director of BRAC's SELP and Gender Justice and Diversity (GJD) Programme. The keynote presentation was delivered by Sonali Rani Upadhaya, Senior Judicial Magistrate of Kushtia and Md Tarikul Islam, Senior Assistant Judge of Sathkhira.

Addressing the chronic delays in family courts, the Chief Justice emphasised the human cost: as of 31 March 2025, 74,259 cases remain pending, including 5,034 that have been unresolved for over five years. Notably, 10,089 cases were disposed of in the first quarter of 2025 alone-progress he attributed to proactive efforts by judges and Bar leaders, as well as a systemic shift from process-centric to people-centred justice.

To tackle procedural inefficiencies, recent amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure have introduced stage reductions, integrated execution proceedings within original case frameworks, and imposed stricter limits on adjournments-measures intended to reduce delays and procedural complexity.

The Chief Justice also commended the judiciary's partnership with BRAC, which facilitated five regional workshops. These consultations identified a range of structural challenges, including outdated summons procedures, lack of regulated adjournments, unstructured case management, inadequate psychological support, and poor court infrastructure. He describing the consultations as 'acts of civic participation', and recognised BRAC's contributions in infrastructure upgrades-particularly the installation of accessible, hygienic, and gender-sensitive toilets in the Supreme Court, with plans to replicate the model in metropolitan and divisional courts across the country.

He further emphasised the need for administrative autonomy, stating, "No justice system can manage timeliness, workloads, or personnel without autonomy over its own administrative structure." Structural independence, he added, is essential for sustaining reforms within the judiciary and across broader governance systems.

Digital innovation is playing a critical role in procedural reform. Pilot initiatives-such as digital cause lists, adjournment tracking, and SMS-based summons-have shown promise and will be expanded to family courts. Planned upgrades include NID-linked digital summons and a judicial helpdesk to reduce service-related delays.

Justice Farah Mahbub reiterated that justice in family courts is not about winning or losing-it is about healing. As part of this system, she stressed the need to make justice accessible, empathetic, and swift. She also expressed hope that the workshop would serve as a catalyst for coordinated and sustained action towards a fair, efficient, and people-centred family justice system. She also extended her appreciation to BRAC for convening such a timely and important forum, bringing together key representatives from the judiciary, government institutions, legal services, development partners, and the media-reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening access to justice for families across Bangladesh.

BRAC's Executive Director, Asif Saleh, emphasised that a just and equitable society is only possible when every woman and girl is free to realise her full potential, unshackled by harmful socio-cultural norms. He explained that BRAC's multifaceted approach-including community mobilisation, capacity building, or policy advocacy-seeks to dismantle the structural barriers that keep justice out of reach for too many, particularly women and marginalised groups.

In her welcome remarks, Shashwatee Biplob emphasised that the objective of the workshop extended far beyond addressing procedural bottlenecks. She noted that the collective efforts represented a meaningful step towards rebuilding public trust in the justice system, restoring dignity to survivors of injustice, and laying the foundation for a society that is more just, inclusive, and equitable for all.

The event was moderated by ATM Morshed Alam, Lead, Legal Aid and Policy Advocacy of SELP.

The event brought together members of the judiciary, policymakers, senior government officials, and experienced legal practitioners. It reviewed key recommendations from 5 regional consultations involving 117 judges and 10 lawyers across 51 districts. Speakers underscored long-standing procedural inefficiencies-particularly delays in the summons process-as major barriers to justice.