KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench, led by Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, is set to hear a writ petition challenging the appointment of 52 officials to constitutional bodies made by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in 2020.
The appointments, executed via an ordinance, have been contested as unconstitutional by senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi, advocate Om Prakash Aryal, and others.
The writ petition was initially filed after allegations that the appointments violated constitutional procedures. On March 23, 2022, the court issued a show-cause order. However, the hearing has been repeatedly delayed since then. The last scheduled date for the case was September 4, 2024, but it was postponed for ‘consideration’.
The defendants in the case include the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Office of the President, and the 52 appointees, among others.
The appointments involved key constitutional bodies such as the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Election Commission.
Critics argue that these appointments bypassed parliamentary procedures and lacked the necessary checks and balances.
With four years of the six-year term already completed by the appointees, the court’s decision could have significant implications for the functioning and legitimacy of these constitutional bodies.
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