In his farewell address as Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Syed Refaat Ahmed on Sunday said no legal provision in the world can ensure collective freedom if society is driven by the desire for unearned wealth, unjust luxury and the prestige of undue power, stressing that moral integrity must accompany the rule of law.

“There is no point in establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary unless we, the judges, are careful about personal dishonesty,” he said.

The Chief Justice made the remarks while delivering his farewell address at the Supreme Court Auditorium on Sunday noon, ahead of his retirement as the country’s 25th Chief Justice on December 27.

Addressing fellow judges, Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed urged them to regard the pursuit of knowledge and the habit of reading as the highest duty of their lives. He encouraged continuous study, research and the development of judicial experience.

“Let the primary foundation of all our efforts be not merely the execution of work, but the pursuit of excellence in that work,” he said.

The Chief Justice also called on judges to go beyond traditional legal learning and expand their understanding of society, culture, anthropology, history, economics and political thought. At the same time, he urged them to explore modern fields such as artificial intelligence, environmental science and cybersecurity.

“As judges, we can never be certain which everyday occurrences in people’s lives may give rise to disputes and when unprecedented questions will be brought before the courts, testing our judgment and discernment,” he added.

Referring to the historic establishment of the Supreme Court Secretariat, the Chief Justice said judicial independence and a separate secretariat must be firmly established as the primary guardians of the constitutional rights of the people.

He emphasised that strict action must be taken against corrupt and dishonest judges and said members of the judiciary should no longer point fingers at others for injustices committed within the system.

“We must fulfil our responsibilities fully to ensure speedy justice for the people. Political influence must be avoided in the pursuit of preferred outcomes,” he said.

Judges of the Appellate Division, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, senior advocate Zainul Abedin, Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, district and sessions judges, metropolitan sessions judges, chief judicial magistrates and chief metropolitan magistrates, among others, were present on the occasion.