DHAKA: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is taking new initiative of recordings voice of the witnesses, dismantling the traditional method of taking depositions.

Initially, an experimental project will be implemented soon in 20 courts of Sylhet aiming to launch the system, which will be introduced in other courts in phases, UNDP sources said.

Judicial Strengthening Project (Just) in collaboration with the Supreme Court will implement the project funded by the UNDP.

Project cost has been estimated from Tk 35-lakh to Tk 40-lakh.

Instead of the traditional method of writing, the deposition of the witnesses in a case will be auto recorded.

Later, the recorded statement will be printed in written form. The judge would not have to write lengthy statement of a witnesses and time will be saved in taking depositions.

Through the system, case will be settled quickly and the burden of huge backlog of cases will also reduce, says additional registrar of the High Court Shabbir Faiz.

He said that the statements of the witnesses will be recorded easily through the voice records.

Later, the witnesses cannot deny their statements given in the court. As a result, the trial proceedings will be expedited, Shabbir hoped.

Moreover, Judicial Strengthening Project (Just) launched a website in the Supreme Court, Dhaka, Kishoreganj and Rangamati courts to inform the lists of hearing in the court and the agenda of the cases (hearings, deposition recording, pronouncement of verdict).

BDST: 1332 HRS, JUL 01, 2015
RS/RR