Joint efforts to control judiciary corruption stressed

KATHMANDU: A Supreme Court-formed panel today underlined the need for serious intervention and joint efforts to control corruption in the judiciary.

A report released by the CJ nominee Ram Prasad Shrestha-led committee has suggested that serious

steps be taken to control corruption and irregularities. Justices Khil Raj Regmi, Girish Chandra Lal and Prakash Osti were other members of the panel.

The report said that since there are no laws to make public the property of judges and lawyers, corruption is being promoted in the judiciary. The report suggested the judges themselves take 60 per cent responsibility of fighting corruption and seeking help from other stakeholders.

The Shrestha panel submitted the report to outgoing Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma who released it on his last day in the Supreme Court today, while CJ nominee Shrestha submitted a copy of the report to the parliamentary hearing special committee. Shrestha expressed the hope that the report’s recommendations will be implemented. The report is also available in the Supreme Court’s website www.supremecourt.gov.np for the common people to have a look at. “I am confident that the report will be implemented gradually,” Sharma told journalists.