KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court of Nepal has postponed its verdict on the legality of appointments made to various constitutional commissions during the tenure of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
The court was expected to deliver its final decision on Wednesday, but the ruling was deferred as discussions among the justices remained incomplete.
A full bench led by Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut and comprising Justices Kumar Chudal, Nahakul Subedi, Sapana Pradhan Malla, and Manoj Kumar Sharma had convened for deliberations. However, as consensus was not reached, the court announced it would issue its decision on July 2.
The case pertains to the controversial appointments of 52 officials to constitutional commissions made through a Constitutional Council meeting held on December 15, 2020, when KP Sharma Oli was Prime Minister.
The council, which had its decision-making mechanism altered via ordinance, recommended the appointments. Based on those recommendations, the President had appointed 32 officials in the first phase and 20 more in the second phase.
The appointments have since faced legal challenges on grounds of procedural flaws and questions over the legitimacy of the ordinance used to amend the Constitutional Council Act. The Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling is expected to have significant implications for the balance of power and future appointments to Nepal’s constitutional bodies.
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