Kathmandu, July 11

New Chief Justice Sushila Karki defended the Judicial Council’s recommendation of including former lawmaker Sapana Pradhan Malla as Supreme Court justice.

Claiming that Pradhan was picked due to her contributions to formulating various women-friendly laws, Karki said, “Pradhan’s recommendation was not owing to her credential as a lawmaker, but as a senior lawyer. We hope, as a judge, she will further contribute to providing justice to women.”

The chief justice said the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee could still bar her from becoming a justice if it deemed the decision necessary.

Referring to the absence of laws regarding whether politicians could become judges, she urged lawmakers to formulate a new law to deal with this case.

She also claimed that many judges of the country were active in politics as students before entering judicial service.

The JC had recommended Pradhan, along with 10 other names for vacant posts of justices in the apex court in March. As for a member of  the JC, Karki had strongly supported senior-advocate Pradhan’s recommendation.