Kathmandu, March 3:

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly Affairs today defended the government’s plan to expand the benches of the Supreme Court to Biratnagar and Nepalgunj.

The Ministry defended the plan by submitting a written explanation to the SC. “This plan has been introduced to ensure easy access of people living in rural areas to justice as they have currently been wasting time and money for visiting Kathmandu for justice,” said Madhav Paudel, secretary of the Ministry.

According to the Ministry, there was no question of interference in the independence of the judiciary. Stating that the Supreme Court Act, 1991, allows Chief Justice to establish SC benches even outside the Kathmandu Valley, he claimed that the plan does not infringe or limit the authority of CJ.