•      Sun Dec 29 2024
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CJ constitutes Constitutional Bench, ignores seniority



Supreme Court of Nepal
Supreme Court of Nepal (file photo)

KATHMANDU, Dec 25: Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher JBR has constituted a five-member constitutional bench to hear the petition regarding the dissolution of the House of Representatives. He has selected himself and four other judges from the list of 14 judges.

Chief Justice JBR has constituted the bench differently from the previous practice. He has not followed the seniority list. For example, JBR has not put his next senior judge Deepak Kumar Karki in the bench. Subsequent judge Meera Khadka also could not get chance for the bench. Earlier, constitutional bench were usually held on the basis of seniority.

The fairness and neutrality of the hearing of the dissolution of the House of Representatives is seen as a complex issue at this time. Therefore, on the basis of which the Chief Justice may have selected four other judges during the formation of the bench, there must be some basis or criteria. But that has not been made public.

Chief Justic JBR has included Justices Harikrishna Karki, Bishwombhar Prasad Shrestha, Anil Kumar Sinha and Tej Bahadur KC for today’s hearing.