Homaira Nowshin Urmi, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Premier University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
The testimony of witnesses of crime is crucial in the criminal justice system to lead the accused to conviction. Thus witnesses play a vital role in criminal investigation or court proceeding. However, witnesses of crime are always threatened or intimidated by the accused or their acquaintances in attempt to get them to not appear before the court or to turn hostile. Witnesses must be given specific rights and protections in order to enable them to testify in court freely, without fear of retaliation, or under any duress. Across the globe in different developed and developing countries, right to protection of witnesses of crime has become an established right. In Bangladesh, legal provisions on witness protection is still inadequate and there is no comprehensive law on it though there exist some legal provisions in some special laws which are not ample. Bangladesh Law Commission has emphasized the need for enactment of a new law for providing protection to the witnesses of crime which is required to provide justice to that neglected part of our society. In the current situation, a great deal of research in this area is needed to reform current criminal justice system of Bangladesh in order to protect witnesses more effectively and to bring it into compliance with international standards. Furthermore, necessary steps should be taken for providing an effective legal framework relating to protection to witnesses of crime to make stronger the present conditions of them.
Keywords: Witnesses of crime, Protection of witness, Criminal justice system, Trial, Witness protection scheme, Effective legal framework.
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