KATHMANDU: Chief Justice (CJ) Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, who is set to retire, has recommended names of two judges for appointment to the Supreme Court (SC) amid protest from Nepal Bar Association.
With just a week left in his tenure, Shrestha secured the endorsement of two Justices from the High Court during a Judicial Council meeting held on Friday.
The Council recommended the names of Nripadhwaj Niraula and Nitya Nanda Pandey for Supreme Court judges.
While the meeting was in progress, protests erupted outside, as lawyers voiced their dissent regarding the appointments.
Shrestha initially aimed to appoint six judges to the Supreme Court and 17 to the High Court.
However, disagreements among council members resulted in only two judges being recommended for the Supreme Court.
According to a participant in the meeting, Law Minister Ajay Chaurasiya, government representative Ram Prasad Bhandari, and Nepal Bar Association representative Ram Prasad Shrestha advocated for limiting the appointment to just two judges, suggesting that the remaining positions be finalized by the incoming Chief Justice.
Chief Justice Shrestha is set to retire on October 6, and other council members advised against making long-term decisions, as the court will close from October 3 for the Dashain holidays.
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