SUN: RECENT ACHIVEMENT

Seminar at Barisal BAR
http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/archive/April%2009/7-4-2009.htm

Separation of judiciary and ‘Pro Bono’ concept ensure justice and human rights Participants of a day long brainstorming meeting held at Barisal on Saturday7.4.2009 said that separation of judiciary and developing 'Pro Bono' concept are essentials to establish justice in the society and to guard human rights against infringement. The program was organised by 'Save the Underprivileged and the Needy (SUN), a NGO, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) with assistance from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Bangladesh have been organizing the same type of programs in Barisal, Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Cox's Bazaar since July 2007 under the project named 'promoting accesses to justice and human rights in Bangladesh'. The meeting was conducted by Nizam Uddin Anon Executive Director of SUN, presided over by Shekh Abdul Kader, Barisal district Bar Association President, and was attended by seventy legal practitioners, law officials, journalists, stake holders, Dr. Rana P. Sattar, Project Manager UNDP with Salma Binte Qadir, Joint Secretary of Ministries of LAW(MoLJPA), as the chief guest.A discussion on the concept paper of 'Pro Bono (Latin phrase 'pro bono publico' meaning for the people's welfare) and legal resources network in Bangladesh including state owned National Legal Aid Organization (NLAO), took lace in the program.In the paper, it was explained that 'Pro Bono' legal services concept is new in Bangladesh. Under this theme, 'Pro Bono' lawyers will work voluntarily as an integral part of morality of legal profession and social obligation without expecting any remuneration either from clients or any other sources. They called for developing 'Pro Bono' legal services forum with recognition for services rendered relating sustainability and community ownership of such services to the litigant in need as aspect that may not be assured by the public funded or donor supported legal aid projects. A network in bar associations, bar council and related institutions and introducing practical course about 'Pro Bono' in Bar/LLB/LLM, also suggested in the concept paper.However, it was expected in the discussion that these consultations would contribute towards developing strategic plans for establishment of a legal service network in Bangladesh with affiliation to other countries of the region for mutual sharing of experiences.The organizers of the program said that the project aims at providing institutional and technical supports to process initiated by the government to judicial sector reforms for establishing a human rights commission with a further strengthened, separated, independent judiciary.Focuses on capacity development of the law officers, legal profession, legal aid authority and civil society groups working on human rights and access to justice by forming Pro Bono Legal Services committees also elaborated in the program. The participants stressed on strengthen mechanism for promotion andprojection of human rights and the delivery of justice for all, particularly for the poor and other disadvantaged persons by empowering them through creating awareness of international human right norms.They called for enhancing access to justice and human rights for all disadvantaged and marginal groups through a right-based approach ensuring accountability and transparency in legal and judicial sector by separating