JC for amendment to Judicial Council Act

KATHMANDU, Dec 5: The Judicial Council, a body responsible for making recommendations for appointment of Supreme Court (SC) justices, has proposed adding a new provision in the Judicial Council Act so that temporary justices, who have already undergone parliamentary hearings, would continue to hold office.



The council held discussions on the issue with Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) Bhesh Raj Sharma on Wednesday morning. [break]



The council has been holding a series of discussions for the last couple of days as the apex court will be left with only six permanent justices, including the chief justice, and one temporary justice after Thursday.



Asked about the agenda of the Wednesday´s meeting, JC Spokesperson Jeewan Hari Adhikari said, "We held an informal discussion with the law secretary on the possibility of amending the Judicial Council Act so that temporary justices, who have already undergone parliamentary hearings, can continue to hold office."



Khem Narayan Dhungana, a JC member, said MoLJ is positive about the JC proposal. Sources at MoLJ told Republica that the ministry was ready to forward a draft for amendment to the Judicial Council Act to the cabinet.



"We will forward the draft to the cabinet in its next meeting," said the source, adding, "We know well that it will not be as per the spirit of the interim constitution but it is the only way to avert a crisis in the apex court."

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