The term Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a new phenomenon in our legal system and is a concept that fully justifies the universally accepted promise that human beings are social animals. It has been developed in recent years that mark a significant departure from traditional judicial proceedings. It is constitutional jurisprudence and it is based on necessity of public interest or infringement of public rights. In PIL the courts are seen for the first time to be concerned with public interest matters going beyond the traditional role of the judges. Judicial activism through a process known as public interest litigation (PIL) has emerged as a powerful mechanism of social change in Bangladesh. To confront this situation, the PIL has been created to empower ordinary citizens to write a letter and draw the attention of the apex court. The process of PIL has become an integral part of the judicial system of the country. Apart from these shortcomings, judicial activism is a very important potential instrument of the judiciary to protect and promote human rights and the rule of law in Bangladesh. This paper examines the idea of access to justice through public interest litigation in various judgments in Bangladesh.
Key words: PIL, Access to Justice, Judicial Activism, Social Justice.
|
