Commonwealth secretary-general pledges support to Chief Justice

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey, who is now on her first official visit to Bangladesh, has assured support for achieving the targets set by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed for judicial reform roadmap.

During a meeting with the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court on Sunday (23 November), she praised his leadership and vision, according to a statement from the court’s public relations officer, Md Shafiqul Islam.

The statement said the secretary-general lauded the Chief Justice’s initiatives and achievements in judicial reform, calling them meaningful and practical steps toward ensuring transparency, efficiency, and institutional independence.

“The Commonwealth will support Bangladesh to build the capacity of its judiciary and benefit from best practices from our family of nations,” she said.

She also praised the formation of the Supreme Judicial Appointment Council, saying it added fairness and neutrality to the process of appointing High Court judges.

Regarding the recent approval of establishing a Supreme Court Secretariat on 10 November, she said it would accelerate effective separation of the judiciary and enhance its administrative efficiency.

She reaffirmed that the Commonwealth Secretariat would assist in achieving the goals outlined in the judicial reform roadmap.