State Minister for law Qamrul Islam
The
International Crimes (Tribunal) Act, 1973 will be amended to
incorporate a provision for the government to file an appeal against an
inadequate sentence to a war crimes accused, said State Minister for law
Qamrul Islam on Saturday. The minister told The Daily Star that the government made a plan to amend the section-21 (2) of the ICT actin the awake of the demand from common people and legal experts for the government right to appeal against any ICT verdict, which awards inadequate sentence to any convict in the war crimes cases.
People from all walks of life started a non-stop protest at Shahbagh intersection which began hours after a war crimes tribunal on Tuesday sentenced Jamaat leader Quader Mollah to life term in prison for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
As per the section 21 (2) of the ICT act, "the government (which represents the victims in the war crimes trial) shall have the right to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against an order of acquittal."
Qamrul said on Saturday, but there is no scope in the law to file an appeal against the order of inadequate sentence to any war crimes convict.
He said the government will finalise the amendment to the law within a day or two after Law Minister Shafique Ahmed returns to the country from Paris.
The law minister is expected to return home this afternoon.
Qamrul said the fault in the existing law came up before the government notice after the ICT-2 on February 5 sentenced life term imprisonment to Quader Mollah in a war crimes case.
Replying to a question Qamrul said, the government will not incorporate any provision to the ICT act giving right to the victims of the Liberation War to file an appeal against any verdict since the government is representing the victims in the war crimes trial.
Responding to another question, the state minister said the government will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against a portion of the ICT-2 verdict that acquitted Mollah of a charge of murdering people in Keraniganj during the Liberation War.
He said the appeal will be filed for complete justice in the war crimes case against Mollah as per article 104 of the Constitution of the People's Republic.
Article 104 says, “The Appellate Division shall have the power to issue such directions, orders, decrees or writs as may be necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, including orders for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person or the discovery or production of any document.”
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