Chief Justice: Around 80% of judicial reform programme completed

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed today said that nearly 80 percent of the judicial reform programme previously announced has already been carried out.

“Almost 80 percent of the reforms have been implemented, and I am hopeful that the remaining measures will also be realized with the government’s support,” he noted.

He made the remarks this evening while addressing a discussion titled “July Uprising: Judicial Reforms” organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at its auditorium.

The Chief Justice underscored the importance of completing the process of ensuring full institutional autonomy for the judiciary, improving transparency in its operations, upholding discipline among judicial officers, and extending reforms to courts nationwide.

He said the judiciary is striving tirelessly to restore complete independence and discipline, adding: “The judiciary must serve the people with fairness, courage, and integrity.”

Expressing optimism about the establishment of an independent secretariat for the Supreme Court, he observed: “One of the key proposals before the government is the creation of a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court. Once implemented, this will further strengthen constitutional separation of powers and judicial independence.”

Justice Refaat Ahmed also emphasized that the judiciary’s credibility rests largely on the fairness of judicial appointments. He described the activation of the Supreme Judicial Appointment Council as a historic milestone, introducing a collegium-based system that ensures both transparency and wider participation in judicial recruitment.

The event was presided over by SCBA President Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon. Among others, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, Bangladesh Bar Council Vice Chairman and senior lawyer Zainul Abedin, Gono Forum Executive President and senior lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, and BNP Law Affairs Secretary Barrister Kaiser Kamal also spoke.