Tech billionaire Elon Musk has accused Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of violating the constitution and censoring X, formerly known as Twitter. Elon Musk has lambasted Alexandre de Moraes, one of the 10 judges on Brazil's Supreme Court, for ordering X to block several accounts, including that of a blogger and two members of Congress. For a while now, Brazil's Constitutional Court has been clamping down on so-called digital militias accused of spreading disinformation and vitriol online.  Musk, who owns X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, took aim at Moraes saying "this aggressive censorship appears to violate the law & will of the people of Brazil." Musk followed up his post with an even stronger message on X: "This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. Shame @Alexandre, shame." Musk also said he would defy the Constitutional Court order to block users and reactive the accounts. Investigation into Musk conduct Defiantly, Musk announced that "We are lifting all restrictions. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to

President Md Shahabuddin urged the judiciary to be more active so that the country's people receive justice within a short possible time.  On Thursday, June 08, the head of the state Md Shahabuddin made this call while presenting Bangladesh Supreme Court Annual Report-2022 by a seven-member delegation led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique. Md Joynal Abedin, the press secretary of President Md Shahabuddin said in the briefing that the Head of State advised the concerned authorities to use information technology to make all-out efforts to establish justice by reducing the number of pending cases in order to reduce the suffering of the litigants. At that time, Chief Justice Hasan Foez informed President Md Shahabuddin on various aspects of the report and the overall activities of the Supreme Court. The chief justice also highlighted some problems of the lower and higher courts.  Chief Justice Hasan Foez assured to provide all-round cooperation so that the judicial department can perform its responsibility in a fair manner.

The three men were put to death after taking part in rallies over the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by Iran's morality police. Iran on Friday executed three men convicted of involvement in the deaths of members of the security forces during protests triggered by Jina Mahsa Amini's death, the judiciary said. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were convicted of "moharebeh," or "war against God," for drawing a gun during a demonstration in November in the central city of Isfahan, the judiciary's website Mizan Online said. Authorities said the men killed two members of the Basij paramilitary force and a law enforcement officer had died during the rally. The trio were arrested shortly after and sentenced to death in January. Charged with breaches of national security The men were also charged with membership of "illegal groups with the intention of disrupting national security and collusion leading to crimes against internal security," Mizan Online said. It noted "evidence and documents in the case and the clear statements made by the accused" show that "the shootings carried out by these three people led to the martyrdom of three security forces." Rights groups say the three were subjected to torture, forced into televised confessions and denied due process. "The prosecution relied on forced 'confessions,' and the indictment was riddled with irregularities that reveal this was a politically motivated case," said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. The US State Department on Thursday called on Iran not to carry out the executions. On Wednesday, the three men appealed to the public for support in a handwritten note saying, "Don't let them kill us.” Amini's death triggered waves of protests Large demonstrations broke out multiple times last fall and earlier this year following the death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd who had been arrested by Iran's morality police. Amini had been accused of violating Iran's strict Islamic dress code when she was detained in September. Authorities said the 22-year-old died of a heart attack, while eyewitnesses said she had been severely beaten and died as a result of police brutality.  The protests quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the theocracy that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tehran launched a fierce crackdown on the protests, which it labeled as foreign-instigated "riots." Thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed including dozens of security forces. The demonstrations have largely subsided, though there are still sporadic acts of defiance, including the refusal of some women to wear the mandatory Islamic headscarf. Rights groups say Iran executed nearly 600 people in 2022, up from 333 the previous year. The surge in the death penalty, including for vague charges of "enmity against God" and "spreading corruption on earth," has been widely criticized.

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to strive for judicial cooperation in order to make the judicial system more approachable for the common people. Addressing the conclusion of the 18th meeting of the Chief Justices/Chairpersons of the Supreme Courts of the member states here on Saturday, the CJI stressed “the need to collectively adopt new mechanisms to make court processes simpler and accessible”. He highlighted several challenges facing the judicial systems in SCO member states and how the conference “allowed all member and observer states to reflect upon the challenges that are common to their jurisdictions”. CJI Chandrachud “emphasised that these issues need to be tackled with mutual cooperation and by sharing experiences and wisdom gathered”. Except Pakistan, representatives of all other SCO member states, two observer states — Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of Belarus — the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) and SCO Secretariat were present at the two-day event. Pakistan joined through videoconferencing. An official note said on day 1 of the conference, which started on March 10, a Joint Interaction Session was held wherein the participants discussed the challenges faced and measures taken during Covid-19 pandemic. Day 2 of the event saw discussions on “smart courts” and the future of the judiciary. CJI Chandrachud said technology must be used to bridge the gap between citizens and the justice system and shared the recent endeavors made by the Supreme Court of India such as the launching e-version of Supreme Court reports, artificial intelligence-based live transcription of court proceedings and translation of judgments in multiple regional languages among others.\ Besides CJI Chandrachud, other speakers at the event included Aslambek Mergaliyev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Jinghong Gao, Vice-President of Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China, Zamirbek Bazarbekov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic, Umar Ata Bandial, Chief Justice, Pakistan, Vyacheslav M. Lebedev, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Valery Kalinkovich, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, Mohammad Mosaddegh Kahnamoee, First Deputy of the Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Janesh Kain, Deputy Secretary General, SCO Secretariat and Rakesh Kumar Verma, Deputy Director, Executive Committee, RATS, SCO. Nail Akhmetzakirov, head of the Court Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said their country has developed a new software post Covid-19 to make the electronic system in judicial services more accessible. Speaking on the topic — ‘Facilitating “Access to Justice” (Justice should not be limited to privileged): issues, initiative, and prospects — Justice S K Kaul “raised concern regarding overly populated prisons and emphasised that the “issue of access to quality legal representation is a key element in the criminal justice system”. Xiaochen Qiann, the Chief Judge of case-filing division of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China, said: “It was of prime importance for the growth of the judiciary that modern public judicial services were built, featuring inclusiveness, equity, convenience, efficiency, intelligence and accuracy.” He stressed that court work overload and limited judicial resources is a global challenge, which needs to be addressed both nationally and collectively as members of SCO. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav M Lebedev, highlighted that several laws have been created to protect the citizens, including the system of claims, which can be filed by the plaintiffs at their place of residence, allowing remote participation in court sessions, notifications via SMS regarding time and place of trial and availability of information regarding the working of the court”. Speaking on ‘Institutional Challenges facing Judiciary: Delays, Infrastructure, Representation, and Transparency’, Justice K M Joseph highlighted the issue of high pendency of cases and the need for adequate infrastructure facilities as a means to access to justice”. The official note said that the member states, while agreeing on a number of shared goals for the future of their judiciary, collectively entrusted the presidency for the next meeting of Chief Justices/Chairmans to Uzbekistan on rotation for the year 2024. Source: The indian Express

President M Abdul Hamid today (Saturday) urged all concerned in the judiciary to bring dynamism in case management by using all facilities of the information technology (IT), as he virtually addressed “Bangladesh Supreme Court Day-2021” discussion in the capital.   “Carry out court proceedings digitally in all courts countrywide . . . It will bring revolutionary changes in the judiciary,” the President said in the function on the Supreme Court premises, joining virtually from the Bangabhaban this evening.  Referring to the digital processing in court’ activities, he said, “Since the Supreme Court is a Court of Record,   it is necessary to take initiatives to convert all its documents into digital documents and also to make arrangements to digitally preserve all its documents and all other activities from the filing of cases to the pronouncement of verdicts,” he added.  He said online cause list has already been introduced in the Supreme Court and the online bell confirmation system is also working effectively.  Terming the judicial process as a very tough one, the President urged the judges to work hard more to reduce the number of pending cases which are the causes of the untold sufferings to the litigants.  He also called upon the judges to take care of the litigants’ rights so that they do not have to roam in the court’s corridor day after day to get a copy of the judgement after the verdict of the case.  The President said, "The government firmly believes in the independence of the judiciary and is making sincere efforts to increase the facilities of judges."   He categorically said the government is very sincere in modernizing the judiciary by taking up the task of implementing e-judiciary project to achieve the goal.  Abdul Hamid said that after the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the anti-liberation forces tried to kill democracy forever by imposing martial law in the country in many ways.    “But the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has established the democratic rights of the country’s people by declaring the 5th and 7th amendments to the constitution illegal,” Hamid mentioned, adding, since its journey on December 16, 1972, the apex court is working to protect the basic human rights, establish the rule of law and provide justice to the litigants within the shortest possible time. Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, MP, Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association President and Chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, Supreme Court Bar Council Vice-Chairman Muhammad Yusuf Hussain Humayun and Judges Committee Chairman and Appellate Division Judge Obaidul Hasan also spoke on the occasion.  Mentioning that Bangladesh Supreme Court is playing a dignified role as the guardian and protector of the constitution during peace and crisis, the President said the SC did not allow the conspirators to implement the blueprint of sustaining the anti-constitutional Indemnity Ordinance and at the end, the SC has fulfilled its constitutional duty by prosecuting the killers of the Father of the Nation. Noting that the whole nation is somehow free from that stigma today, Hamid said the Supreme Court has upheld the basic human rights and the constitution by discharging the responsibilities entrusted to it at the time of national crisis.   The President gratefully recalled the fearless judges and expert lawyers of the Supreme Court who did not bow down at gunpoint and sell their conscience in the greater interest of judicially and people.  Abdul Hamid thanked the judiciary for playing an important role in ensuring justice for the people seeking justice in the higher and lower courts by conducting trial process in a virtual manner.  Referring to the country’s ongoing development progress, the President said, “Bangladesh is now a role model of development . . .  A joint-effort of all, including people involved in the judiciary, is a must to continue the development trend and build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh,“  The people expect that the judges will ensure the rule of law and justice through the exercise of their talents and thoughts as they are accountable to the country, its people and the constitution, President Hamid mentioned.  On the occasion, the President unveiled a cover of a book containing pictures of the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s establishment.  Source: BSS AH

Victim-blaming mindset and social stigma attached with reporting incidents such as the Minar-e-Pakistan incident where a woman was allegedly assaulted by hundreds of men on Independence Day, often weaken the authenticity and progress of other cases where women are sexually assaulted in a brutal manner, opine human rights activists in Pakistan. It hampers the legal judiciary process, they said.  In August, a horrifying video from Pakistan had emerged online in which hordes of men were seen groping, mauling and tearing off the clothes of a woman named Ayesha Akram, who is famed for her videos on TikTok. Later, during an investigation into the incident, an audio recording between the woman and the suspect Amir Sohail (Rambo) has surfaced in which the police said it discovered some “mysterious elements,” Pakistan Today reported. Citing details of the conversation, the Pakistani publication reported that they (Ayesha and Rambo) both were planning to take money from suspects who had been arrested in the case. The call revealed that they discussed with each other the number of total suspects and the amount that should be taken from them considering that they belong to an impoverished background. Rambo has confessed that Ayesha wanted to take Rs 500,000 from each arrested suspect, Pakistan Today reported. As soon as the news emerged in various media outlets, the victim received a public outrage with protests and demands to punish the culprits. Pakistan Today newspaper also reported that right activists have inferred that such kind of incidents usually weaken the authenticity and progress of other cases where women are sexually assaulted in a brutal manner. “Such negative incidents only add insult to the injury as police, taking the matter lightly; do not investigate the matter with just intentions. Instead, they hold the victim accountable and responsible for the crime let alone bring justice to them,” they said. “Victim blaming and shaming do not only cause trauma to be retriggered or made more acute, they also prevent other victims from speaking up,” said Jasmyn Rana, a psychologist and psychotherapist based in Lahore. “The rape survivors’ families are no different from the rest of society; they discourage victims from registering or pursuing cases, in an attempt to sweep everything under the carpet. Society looks at the sufferer as if (getting raped) was her own fault”, said Mukhtara Mai about the cultural attitude regarding rape who is a survivor of gang-rape and now a women’s rights activist. Experts suggest that the cases linked with women are sensitive and it takes only one incident in a case to destroy the progress of other cases, Pakistan Today also reported adding that “when an incident is found to be misquoted or misreported, the police and other authorities seem to lose their faith in rest of the victims and take their statements casually.” Observers said that in Pakistan, the police are not well-equipped with the technical and advanced knowledge based on a rational approach and easily believe in whatever they hear from mainstream public. There is a lack of sensitisation to gender-based violence issues among the police and they show a disregard to women’s issues in general. The process of investigation is also quite unprofessional, inauthentic and unguided that eventually produces distorted results, Pakistan Today reported. On the other hand, the conviction rate is depressingly low while the suspects of the crimes usually get acquittal after having remand of one or two months, the publication added. According to a report by advocacy group Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), 6,754 women were kidnapped and 1,890 raped in the first six months of 2021 in the Punjab province alone but the reporting rate remained low. Source: ANI BM

Law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Advocate Anisul Huq said, the government has no interference over court. Judiciary is independent. For this reason the corrupt people are being tried. The comment of the minister came in while delivering speech at Kasba in Brahmanbaria on pretext of BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’z comment ‘Release of Begum Khaleda zia is being delayed following naked interfere of the government in judiciary’. Anisul Huq joined different development and assistance activities at Kasba upazila premises on Friday. He said, the lower court delivered punishment to Khaleda Zia as she stole money from the fund of orphans. Later when appeal was made in the High Court her punishment was extended from 5 years to 10 years. I do not find any interference of government in this regard. The minister said, judiciary became independent when Sheikh Hasina formed the government and that was not present during BNP regime. Deputy Commissioner Hayat Ud Dowla Khan, Kasba-Akhaura circle Additional Police Super Abdul Karim, Upazila Chairman Rashedul Kausar Bhuiyan Jibon among others were present at that time. AH