KATHMANDU, JUNE 6
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's lawyers have expressed dissent over the reconstitution of Constitutional Bench by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana to hear the House dissolution case.
CJ Rana, earlier today, had commissioned the senior-most Justices of the Supreme Court to hear the petitions related to dissolution of House of Representatives.
Advocates Rajaram Ghimire, Deepak Mishra, Krishna Prasad Bhandari and Yagya Mani Neupane claimed before the court that 11 of the 13 justices in the current roster are unfit to hear the case.
The hearing, as such, has been obstructed following the filing of application by Oli's advocates arguing that the justices cannot proceed with the case as some of the petitioners were involved with the parliamentary hearing committee that conducted hearing for their SC appointment.
These are the same advocates that had submitted a writ demanding reinstatement of House and reappointment of Oli.
In response, CJ Rana warned the advocates that they could be charged with contempt of court if they do not withdraw their application. However, PM Oli's advocates said they will proceed with the application and will face the charges as they come.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Ramesh Badal has also opposed the reconstitution of the bench stating that original bench formed to hear the case should proceed with the same. Likewise, former Attorney General and PM Oli's close aide Agni Prasad Kharel has also expressed his doubts over a fair trial should the newly formed bench based on seniority proceeds with the case.
Badal and Kharel both have demanded that justices Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Deepak Kumar Karki recuse themselves from the case.
Uncertainty looms large over the fate of the House of Representatives dissolution related hearing with the recurring hassles regarding the composition of the bench meant to scrutinise the case.
