judiciary

Excellent account of the history of masjid/state politics in Bangladesh

I don't know Bangladeshi political history well enough to evaluate the arguments, but as a primer on Bangladesh, it's well written, readable, and worth taking a glance at. The news hook is that the Bangladeshi Supreme Court recently upheld a 5-year-old decision banning the use of religion in politics.

Additionally, I've been meaning to put a plug in for the source, Newsline, which is among the best publications I've seen out of Pakistan - if not South Asia - in a while. Take a browse around.

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Pak: How did they triumph?

Date: 21 Mar 2009

The movement for the restoration of the judiciary makes Pakistani civil society proud of its achievement. It is awesome how ordinary professionals struggled for two years to ensure that a civilian and military dictatorship did not obstruct the move for the independence of the judiciary.

Author: Ayesha Siddiqa | Source: | Submitted by: vivek on 21 Mar 2009 | Comments: 0

Pakistan sets up 'mobile courts'

Date: 2 Mar 2009

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has issued a decree to establish mobile courts that can adjudicate on minor offences on the spot, officials say.

The purpose of the courts is to deliver quick justice "at the doorstep" in remote areas, they say.

Opposition parties fear the courts will be used to target their activists.

The decree comes as protests are planned by a number of opposition groups and legal circles over the next few weeks.

Author: M Ilyas Khan | Source: BBC News | Submitted by: dr anonymous on 3 Mar 2009 | Comments: 0