KATHMANDU: With the new political realignment leading to the government’s imminent departure, Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Padam Giri has halted the appointments of district judges.

Following the decision by the CPN-UML to break its alliance with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and form a new coalition with the Nepali Congress (NC), Minister Giri decided not to proceed with the judge appointments as he prepares to leave office.

During the Judicial Council meeting on Tuesday, Minister Giri stated that, given the new political scenario and his impending departure, he would not appoint the 35 judges.

Although Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha suggested that it would be appropriate to proceed with the recommended judge appointments, Giri emphasized that it would not be morally right for him to make such decisions at this point.

Minister Giri proposed that only the eight judges recommended by the Public Service Commission be appointed, leaving the rest for the new minister to decide.

Newly recommended Judges

The Judicial Council meeting on Tuesday recommended the following individuals for district judge appointments:

Narayan Sapkota, Registrar of Jajarkot District Court

Kamalakanta Joshi, Section Officer of the Supreme Court

Basantaraj Joshi, Section Officer of the Verdict Implementation Directorate

Maniram Gyawali, Director of the Office of the Auditor General

Anjanraj Sapkota, Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court

Nitiz Rai, Under Secretary of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority

Tilak Karki, Director of the Verdict Implementation Directorate

Chandramani Chapagain, Section Officer of the Supreme Court

Avoiding Controversy

Although the appointments for the eight judges recommended by the Public Service Commission were finalized, Minister Giri left the responsibility for the remaining appointments to the incoming minister.

He argued against appointing candidates who failed the Public Service Commission exam as district judges, opting to avoid potential controversies as he leaves office.

“With our departure, the responsibility for this ministry will fall to the new minister. It is appropriate to leave the remaining decisions to them,” Giri stated. “Why make these decisions as we are about to leave?”

Despite Chief Justice Shrestha’s recommendation to appoint all 35 judges, Giri maintained that such a decision should either be done systematically or not at all, considering the impending change in government.

The judicial community has praised Minister Giri’s decision as an act of high integrity, though it has left some of the recommended candidates dissatisfied.