Government law officers' duty goes beyond winning cases: Attorney General
Government law officers' responsibilities go far beyond winning cases, Bangladesh Attorney General Mohammad Ruhul Quddus Kazal stressed today, extending to protecting constitutional safeguards, fairness, and the public interest.
He made the remarks as chief guest at the inauguration of a two-day training workshop titled "Strengthening the Principles and Practices of Prosecutorial Ethics for the Attorney General's Office of Bangladesh" in the capital today (18 September, 2026), according to a press release.
The programme, jointly organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for South Asia, aims to reinforce ethical decision-making among government attorneys and align prosecutorial work with international benchmarks on evidence handling, lawful arrest, remand, bail, witness protection, and inter-agency coordination.
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Kazal emphasised that prosecutorial ethics must be embedded in routine legal practice, highlighting the need to ensure lawful detention, preserve evidentiary integrity, disclose exculpatory material to the defence, protect victims and witnesses, maintain independent legal judgment, and resist improper external pressure or conflicts of interest.
He also called for a professional culture within the Attorney General's Office where integrity is non-negotiable, misconduct is systematically addressed, and the rule of law is upheld for every citizen.
Regional Representative of UNODC for South Asia Kristian Hölge underscored the unique responsibility prosecutors bear within the justice administration.
"Your core duty is not to win. Your core duty is to do justice. You must search for the truth, not just the conviction," Hölge said.
Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Stephen Rodriques highlighted the role of ethical conduct in restoring civic faith in legal institutions.
"Public confidence and trust in justice institutions can be rebuilt one decision at a time," Rodriques said, adding that true justice is defined by whether people are treated with dignity and whether outcomes are determined by facts and statutory law rather than wealth, influence, or social status.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque; Senior Rule of Law, Justice and Security Advisor at UNDP Romana Schweiger; and Head of Office of UNODC in Bangladesh Shah Mohammad Naheeaan also attended the opening session.
Through interactive sessions and regional case perspectives, the training aims to translate ethical standards into day-to-day legal conduct, fostering fairer proceedings, strengthening institutional integrity, and reinforcing public trust in the country's justice system.
