Ex-CJs should get vehicle, other facilities: JC

KATHMANDU, Dec 2: The Judicial Council (JC) has recommended that the government provide vehicles and other facilities to ex-chief justices.

A meeting of the JC last week took a decision to this effect.



"The council decided to recommend to the government to provide a vehicle and driver and fuel to every former chief justice," confirmed JC spokesperson Nahakul Subedi.[break]



Under the JC´s recommendation, ex-CJs would be getting a vehicle and driver, a personal assistant and 100 liters of petrol and 5 liters engine oil monthly.



"I am happy with the JC´s recommendation," said ex-chief justice Anup Raj Sharma, adding, "The chief justice rank next to the prime minister in protocol. Ex-PMs and home and defense ministers get vehicles after they retire but the CJs are not treated on par with them."



Subedi said the JC has already written to the government about this.



Former CJs often use taxis or personal cars to move about.



Except for former CJ Bishwanath Upadhyaya, no ex-CJ has been provided a vehicle.



"Under constitutional provisions, the government should treat all high-ranking officials equally," said JC spokesperson Subedi, adding, "The JC´s decision is a step towards treating all high-ranking officials equally."



The government, however, has long been providing vehicles to former PMs, home ministers and defense ministers.



"This is not a personal problem," Ex-CJ Sharma said, "CJs moving about on foot is quite a sensitive matter from the security point of view."

Former CJs get personal security officers (PSO), who are mostly inactive because the ex-CJs normally don´t go anywhere for lack of vehicles.



Interestingly, no ex-speakers have been provided a vehicle either, or other facilities on par with ex-PMs and home ministers.

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