KATHMANDU: The Judicial Council (JC) has begun the process of appointing new Chief Justice (CJ) as the present incumbent of the SC - Anup Raj Sharma -is going to take compulsory retirement on March 25.

The JC recently wrote the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMO) and CJ Sharma reminding the date of retirement of the incumbent CJ and to begin the process of his successor's appointment.

"We wrote the CJ and the PMO that incumbent CJ is taking compulsory retirement soon and to expedite the process of new appointment," Jivan Hari Adhikary, Secretary, JC, told The Himalayan Times today.

Sharma was appointed on December 14 but is taking retirement on March 25 due to age factor.

Sharma has already conveyed this to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal urging the latter to call a meeting of the Constitutional Council in order for the new CJ to be appointed on time. "The PM has assured me that formal process of appointing new CJ would begin as soon as possible," Adhikary quoted CJ as saying.

Senior most justice Ram Prasad Shrestha is vying to be Sharma's successor. However, Justices Khil Raj Regmi, Bala Ram KC and Top Bahadur Magar are to compete strongly for the top judicial post since they are equally qualified and have three years of prior experience as permanent justices of the apex court.