Kathmandu, June 12

A meeting of the Constitutional Council today recommended Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee for appointment as chief justice of the Supreme Court.

The post of chief justice has remained vacant ever since CJ Gopal Prasad Parajuli was relieved from his duties on March 14. Joshee had taken over as acting chief justice the following day on the basis of seniority.

The Constitutional Council recommended Joshee for appointment as the CJ as per Article 292 of the constitution, according to Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang.

The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee, which is yet to be formed, will have to endorse Joshee’s nomination, following which President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will formally appoint Joshee as the chief justice.

Formation of the parliamentary committee has been delayed due to the delay in the endorsement of the Joint Parliamentary Committee Regulation. As per the constitutional provision, lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly should sit on the parliamentary panel.

Minister Tamang said a joint meeting of the Federal Parliament would be convened on June 17, which would endorse the regulation, paving the way for the formation of the parliamentary committee. “So the appointment of chief justice should come by June 24 at the latest,” said Tamang.

The Judicial Council had recommended three justices — Joshee, Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Om Prakash Mishra — to the Constitutional Council for the post of chief justice on the basis of seniority.

The Constitutional Council meeting was attended by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, opposition leader and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Acting CJ Joshee, HoR Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Minister Tamang.