Kathmandu, August 5

Senior-most Justice of the Supreme Court Om Prakash Mishra assumed the charge of acting chief justice from today after incumbent Acting CJ Deepak Raj Joshee went on a 15-day leave.

Mishra issued the cause list today. A source at the Supreme Court said that Mishra would carry out duties as acting CJ till the incumbent acting CJ returns to his job.

A source close to Joshee told THT that Joshee had made up his mind to resign from the post. Mishra, who is likely to win the nomination for CJ, will retire from service after five months.

Joshee chose to go on a 15-day leave from tomorrow after he was rejected by two-thirds majority of the Public Hearing Committee on Friday.

Four members of the panel representing the Nepali Congress had boycotted the voting process.

Joshee, who had been working as acting chief justice since March 15, has one more year to serve.

Speaking at a programme here today, Parliamentary Hearing Committee coordinator Laxman Lal Karna said that all should accept the PHC’s decision to reject Joshee’s nomination.

Standing committee member of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Devendra Poudel said the PHC’s recent decision had established parliamentary supremacy.