KATHMANDU: Senior Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula has called for a comprehensive review of Nepal’s judiciary, citing recent court decisions that, he claims, have raised concerns about the functioning of the justice system.
Speaking during the ongoing central working committee meeting at the party’s central office in Sanepa on Sunday, the former general secretary of the Nepali Congress pointed specifically to the Supreme Court’s recent verdict regarding the appointment of 52 officials to constitutional bodies.
Sitaula said, “The case regarding the appointment of 52 individuals to constitutional bodies was filed four years ago, and a verdict has only just been issued. It’s concerning that the Chief Justice himself was in the minority opinion in such a sensitive case.”
He argued that the verdict, which emerged from the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, exposed internal divisions among justices, something that undermines public trust. “The Constitution states that justice is to be delivered under the leadership of the Chief Justice. Yet in this case, we see a serious matter where the Chief Justice’s opinion is in the minority,” Sitaula added.
He stressed that it is now time to evaluate the judiciary across all levels, from district and high courts to the special and supreme courts. “It’s not just about judicial decisions. Even constitutional and diplomatic appointments are now being questioned,” he said.
Sitaula’s remarks signal growing concern within Nepal’s mainstream political leadership over the perceived politicization and inconsistency in the judiciary’s recent actions.
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