Commission to draft new laws and amend existing ones

Kathmandu, January 10:

The House of Representatives today unanimously passed the Nepal Law Commission Bill 2006 providing more teeth to the commission which has been working to promote and protect legal system in the country.

The Bill has given more power to the Commission to draft new laws and make amendments in different existing laws.

The Commission will recommend the government to endorse provisions of several international laws signed by the government and to incorporate provisions in domestic laws by taking service and advice from national and international legal experts.

The Commission will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court Justice. Any senior advocate, advocate or legal researcher having 15 years experience will be qualified for the post of vice-chairman.

Three members with the same qualification required for the post of vice-chairman will be qualified to become members of the Commission. The members will continue their job for five years but the government can remove them at any time.

Meanwhile, MPs today demanded that the Interim Constitution be ratified only after the House of Representatives (HoR) discusses on it as per the normal proceeding.

Speaking at the special hour of the House, the MPs also asked the top political leaders not to distribute the remaining 48 seats in the interim parliament among the eight parties.

They demanded the 48 seats be distributed among the Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), other similar rebellion groups, civil society representatives, women, ethnic minorities and dalits as per the norms of inclusive democracy.

“The remaining 48 seats should be distributed among dalits, rebels and women,” said MP Suresh Karki.

Stating that the Terai region was in terror, MPs also drew the concern of the government to talk to the Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha rebels to resolve their problems. He also asked the government to immediately arrest Babu Krishna Karki and punish him for his established crime of killing Hem Narayan Yadav.

MP Rajendra Kharel asked the political leaders to distribute the remaining 48 seats among the civil society representatives, instead of dividing them among eight political parties.

MP Romi Gauchan added that the interim constitution be discussed before it is ratified through short procedures on January 15.

Citing the reports on the weaknesses in the interim constitution, MP Hari Acharya said that it should be ratified only after thorough discussion at the HoR.