Development of Mediation and Civil Litigation Practices for Enhancement of Access to Justice Project launched in Bangladesh!
2024.06.04
Summary
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched a new project to improve access to justice in Bangladesh in April 2024 and held a launch event on June 4, 2024.
Background on the issue
In Bangladesh, the number of pending cases in the courts are said to be as high as 4 million due to the delays in court proceedings and the shortage of judges. The government has set "Justice and the Rule of Law" as one of the key areas in the Eighth Five-Year Plan (2020-2025), the national development plan, and intends to promote alternative dispute resolution systems such as mediation. However, the situation remains difficult. In addition, inefficient litigation practices remain, which causes prolongment of trials. These obstacles to access to justice hinder the judicial remedies in enabling everyone to realize equal access to rights and adequate dispute resolution. Particularly for the socially vulnerable populations such as the poor and women, the negative effects of prolonged processes of disputes and dysfunctional resolution are more serious when the disputes concern the means of livelihood or living conditions of the people, such as divorce, child support, or domestic violence.
The goal of the project
The project aims to improve access to justice in Bangladesh by contributing to the diversification of dispute resolution methods by promoting the use of mediation at district courts and legal aid offices in the pilot areas, and to reduce the delays in the proceedings through improvement of the practices at district courts. Such improved access to justice will ultimately lead to the expansion of justice in Bangladesh in the sense that everyone, no matter where they live or what their circumstances, will have access to appropriate dispute resolution institutions without discrimination, contributing to the achievement of SDG Goal 16.3.
Launch Event Outcome
The launch event was attended by a total of 80 person, including officials from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA), the Judicial Administration Training Institute, the Supreme Court, the National Legal Aid Services Organization, the legal aid offices and bar associations in the pilot areas, and many others involved in the Bangladeshi judiciary. Through the launch event, we could foster a common understanding on the significance and important aspects of the project as well as the commitment to working with Japanese experts to improve access to justice among the local stakeholders.
At the launch event (from left to right: Mr. Fujioka, Chief Advisor of the project, Mr. Ichiguchi, Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office, Mr. Iwama, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, Mr.Huq, Minister of the MoLJPA, Mr. Sarwar, Secretary of Law and Justice Division of the MoLJPA, Ms. Kulsum, Project Director & Joint Secretary of the Law and Justice Division, MoLJPA)
Project Summary
| Country Name | Bangladesh |
| Project Name | Development of Mediation and Civil Litigation Practices for Enhancement of Access to Justice Project |
| Scheduled Implementation Period | 36 months |
| Implementing Agency | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA), District courts and legal aid offices in pilot regions |
| Target Area | Dhaka, and as pilot areas, Narsingdi and Cumilla Districts |
| Project Contents (planned) | This project will contribute to improving access to justice for citizens in Bangladesh by promoting the use of mediation and improving litigation practices in district courts and legal aid offices in pilot areas. |
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