Constitutional change should be accepted as democratic truth, not threat: CJ

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Thursday said that with the passage of time, the judiciary must accept constitutional changes as a democratic truth rather than view them as a threat.

"People possess constitutional authority and have the power to amend the constitution over time, and the judiciary must accept this as a democratic truth rather than perceive it as a threat," he said while speaking at his farewell reception this morning.

Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman accorded the farewell reception to the chief justice on behalf of the Bar and the Attorney General's Office at Court No-1 (the Chief Justice's courtroom) of the Appellate Division.

Addressing judges of both divisions of the Supreme Court and lawyers, the chief justice said that together they have passed through a significant period in the country's judicial history. He expressed his gratitude for the cooperation he received over the past sixteen months.

Under the constitution, he said, the state is governed through three principal organs-the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. In this context, he added, the Supreme Court building is not merely a structure; it represents one of the three pillars of civic life.

The chief justice further said that the strength of the judiciary does not lie in any single office; rather, it is a collective endeavour rooted in a shared commitment to delivering justice with balance and foresight.

He noted that while credit for judgments is often given to judges, it is the lawyers who craft the language, reasoning and structure of those judgments.

"In this turbulent world, the judiciary's stability, restraint, integrity and courage can be the nation's most reliable source of stability," he added.

At the beginning of today's reception programme, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, followed by Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, delivered speeches highlighting the eventful professional life of Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, who is set to retire as the 25th Chief Justice on 27 December.

He was sworn in as the 25th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on 11 August 2024.