JC to discuss appointment of judges

Kathmandu, September 12

Member of the Judicial Council Padam Prasad Baidik said appointment of judges and transfer of district court judges were the possible agendas for the JC’s meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

Baidik also said his effort would be to appoint judges as per the spirit of the law and the constitution.

There are four posts of justices vacant at the Supreme Court.

President of Nepal Bar Association Sher Bahadur KC said the NBA would also want its member to be recommended by the JC.

Advocate Dipendra Jha said the constitution and the law ensured proportional inclusion in the judiciary, particularly in the appointment of judges, but this principle was not followed when JC recommended 80 High Court judges in January. He said the JC had recommended only three women as High Court judges last time against more than 51.4 per cent population of women.

Jha said if diversity was not reflected in the judiciary then diverse views would not be reflected in the court’s verdicts which would defeat the purpose of justice.

Senior Advocate Mithilesh Kumar Singh said the first amendment made to the constitution ensured proportional inclusion in all sectors, hence the JC was under obligation to ensure the same.

He, however, said that the JC had failed to ensure proportional inclusion when it recommended 11 Supreme Court justices in March 2016. There was only one Madhesi among the 11 Supreme Court justices recommended by the JC.