Call for strengthening judiciary in SAARC nations

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, MAY 14. The two-day preliminary meeting for the proposed South Asia Judicial Colloquia Series, which concluded here on Sunday stressed on strengthening the judiciary in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries for effective protection of human rights in the region.

The Chief Justices of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal and other eminent judges and legal experts including some from Pakistan made several suggestions for effective guarantee of human rights in all the SAARC countries as enshrined in their respective constitutions.

Journalists were not allowed to cover the event and the organisers promised to make available the recommendations of the meeting after the closing session.

In his inaugural remarks, made available to a news agency, the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Mr. Justice Latifur Rahman, said the colloquia was organised to afford judges in the SAARC region an opportunity to meet and discuss the ever-widening human rights jurisprudence as developed by international institutions and as embodied in international instruments.

Mr. Justice Rahman said the concept of human rights varied from country to country, and from culture to culture. It could not be said with emphasis that fundamental human rights have been incorporated into all cultures and recognised by all states.

The meeting made it possible for the judges to have closer look at the question of human rights norms against the social, political and cultural experiences in the regions' municipal jurisdictions. The Chief Justice of Pakistan failed to attend but a former judge of the Pakistan Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Nasim Aslam Zahid, and Lahore High Court judge, Mr. Justice Tassaduq H. Jilani, took part.

Several Bangladesh newspapers and legal experts have expressed concern at the recent verdict of the Pakistan Supreme Court justifying the military take-over of October 12 last year overthrowing the elected government of the Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif.

At a meeting, the Sri Lankan Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Mark Fernando, said the purpose was to organise a regional Judicial Colloquium Series ``which would truly reflect the needs and concerns of the South Asian judiciary,'' and which ``would focus on the areas of access to justice and judicial remedies for (the vindication of) human rights.''

Dr. Justice A. S. Anand, Chief Justice of India and Mr. Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhaya, Chief Justice of Nepal were among the others who attended the conference.

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