Easy access to courts and exercise of legal rights have been recognised in the constitution as core rights of citizens in Bangladesh. However, backlog of cases in courts and the costs and complexities associated with legal recourse often results in a situation where citizens are denied of their rights. Amendment of ‘City Corporation Act 2009’ promises to be an important initiative to help citizens resolve minor disputes at the local levels without the high costs which they would otherwise have incurred if they had to take recourse to formal institution of justice. To discuss issues of operationalising the Act, a virtual discussion on “City Court Act: Proposed Outline and Possibility of Implementation” was organised jointly by the Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA); the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh; Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Nagorik Uddyog on 10th October 2020. The discussion session was attended by legal experts, academicians, human rights activists, NGO workers and journalists. A number of recommendations emerged from this discussion which will hopefully of use to policymakers in view of amending the Act.
Publication Period: March 2021
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