An ordinance promulgated on Wednesday by president Zillur Rahman amended the International Crimes Tribunal Act of 1973, incorporating a  provision for transfer of cases from one tribunal to another at any stage for ‘ensuring justice and speedy disposal’ of war crimes cases, said officials.

‘At any stage of a case, a Tribunal may, on its own motion or on the application of the Chief Prosecutor, by an order in writing, transfer the case to another Tribunal, whenever it considers such transfer is just and convenient for proper dispensation of justice and expeditious disposal,’ stipulates the amended Article (11A) of the law.

The International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012 states  where a case has been transferred under sub-section (1), the Tribunal which thereafter tries such case shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, proceed from the point at which it was transferred.

A cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to facilitate transfer of war crimes cases from one tribunal to another.

The legislative and parliamentary affairs division submitted the draft for the cabinet’s approval.

Amendment of the law was needed for speedy disposal of war crimes cases, officials said.

On March 25, 2010, the government constituted the first International Crimes Tribunal and the second tribunal was constituted on March 22, 2012, to speed up the completion of the prosecution of the 1971 war crimes suspects.

There was no provision in the original law for transferring cases from one tribunal to another, they said.

And the need for transfer of cases arose following the constitution of the second tribunal.