Judges of all courts furnish property details

Kathmandu, September 29:

The judges of the three tiers of the judiciary furnished their property details as per a special directive of the Judicial Council (JC).

“All the Justices of the Supreme Court, appellate and district courts have furnished their property details to the JC,” spokesperson for the JC Nahakul Subedi told this daily today.

The JC, headed by the Chief Justice, had issued the directive to the judges to furnish the details within the mid-September deadline. According to Subedi, CJ and 12 SC Justices, eight Chief Judges and 65 judged of Appellate Courts and 133 district court judges have submitted the property details.

At a time when the lawyers have accused the judges of being involved in corruption and irregularities, the JC has taken the accomplishment in collecting the property details of the judges on time as a significant one. “Though the judges have to furnish their property details every two year, the directive was special in nature and the JC has taken it positively,” Subedi added.

He, however, said that there was no law to make public the details. “It is up to the JC whether to make public the judges’ property details as the JC Regulations do not speak anything about it.”

President of the Nepal Bar Association, Bishwo Kanta Mainali, however, demanded that the JC make public the details. “Since the judges are public office-bearers, they must make public their property details,” he said.

He also added that the people had the right to know about the income source and property details of public office bearers even if they were elected persons, political appointees, bureaucrats or judges. “If the public cannot know about their income source and property details, how can they be accountable to the public?” he asked.

Former general secretary of the NBA Madhav Banskota also said that making public of the details of the judges’ property would improve the image of the judiciary and the judges. “If there is no law on making public their property details, the government should promulgate one and make public the same in order to make the judges accountable,” Banskota added.