KATHMANDU: The wheels of justice continue to turn as the process of appointing judges, including Supreme Court (SC) justices, advances in the country.
A concerted effort led by Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Law Minister Dhanraj Gurung, Senior Judge Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, and Judicial Council members Ram Prasad Shrestha and Ram Prasad Bhandari is underway to facilitate these crucial appointments.
Law Minister and Judicial Council member Dhanraj Gurung confirmed, “Yes, we are working on this matter, and it is likely that the nominations will be made within the week.”
The Council’s strategy is to first recommend Supreme Court justices and subsequently finalize appointments to the High Court.
Ram Prasad Shrestha, a Judicial Council member, revealed their plan to expedite recommendations at all judicial levels.
Currently, the Supreme Court, which has 21 positions, is functioning with only 14 judges.
Despite Binod Sharma’s previous nomination by the Judicial Council, six new recommendations are needed.
According to insider sources, a consensus has been reached among officials to nominate three lawyers and three High Court judges.
“Based on the endorsement of the three major political parties, three individuals are expected to be chosen from the legal profession’s quota,” shared a Judicial Council source.
In this scenario, one lawyer from each of the three major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Maoist Center—will be nominated as Supreme Court judges. Currently, six of the seven positions for Chief Justice of the High Court remain vacant.
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