Kathmandu, August 12:

Legal experts today asked the interim constitution drafting committee headed by the former Supreme Court justice Laxman Prasad Aryal to guarantee the independence of judiciary in the interim statute.

“Independence of the judiciary is a must in the interim constitution because the judiciary has always played a crucial role in protecting the rights of the people,” Attorney General, Yagya Murti Banjade, said.

He added the judiciary had played a positive role even during the king’s direct rule and always delivered verdicts protecting fundamental rights.

Banjade was speaking at a programme organised by the Nepal Bar Council to mark 30th Bar Council day today. Senior Advocate and Member of Parliament, Radheshyam Adhikari, urged the interim constitution draft panel not to invite anyone’s interference in the judiciary.

Senior Advocate, Basudev Dhungana, and Sarbagyaratna Tuladhar asked for more and progressive provisions to secure the independence of the judiciary than granted by 1990 constitution.

Supreme Court justice, Kedar Prasad Giri, stressed the need of good relations between the bench and bar so that no one can threaten judiciary’s independence.

Members of the panel, Shambhu Thapa and Agni Kharel, expressed dissatisfaction over the government and Maoist talks teams for not giving serious attention towards the role of the panel. The bar council awarded victimologist Dr Shankar Kumar Shrestha book Victim’s Jurisprudence with the best law book award of this year.