SC gains full administrative, financial autonomy : CJ
- Update Time : Saturday, 6 December, 2025, 08:09 pm
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Online Desk : Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed has announced that the Supreme Court has, for the first time, achieved full administrative and financial autonomy, eliminating long-standing dual administrative constraints through the issuance of the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance. Speaking at a seminar titled “Operationalizing Commercial Court” on Saturday, jointly organized by the Supreme Court and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View Hotel, the Chief Justice said that the judiciary now has the capacity to independently manage staffing, budget allocation, training development and policy formulation, enabling long-term and sustainable judicial reforms.
He added that the fundamental transformations in judicial system over the past 18 months, based on collective effort and constitutional transparency, mark a milestone in the country’s judicial history, ushering the Supreme Court into a new institutional era. The Chief Justice also highlighted the establishment of a dedicated commercial court, which will open new horizons for the country’s economy. The business community had long demanded a specialized court for the speedy and modern resolution of commercial disputes and this initiative is expected to be operational soon.
In a second session at the seminar, organized jointly by UNDP and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Senior Assistant Secretary Maruf Allam welcomed participants on “National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025”.
He explained that the new law empowers the commission to independently investigate human rights violations by the military, navy, air force and police; authority that was absent in the previous law, where the commission served only in an advisory capacity.
The new ordinance transforms it into a fully functional investigative body. Speakers included Barrister Tanim Hossain Shawon, drafters of the human rights ordinance, UNDP Resident Representative Romana Soever and UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Anwarul Haq. Barrister Shawon noted that the new law provides for preliminary investigations within 30 days and resolution of complaints within 60 days. It also allows for financial penalties and gives the Human Rights Commission’s chairman or commissioners the authority to conduct surprise visits to any institution without prior permission, strengthening the commission’s enforcement capabilities.
