KATHMANDU: The Judicial Council (JC) today urged the Office of the Prime Minister and the Constitutional Council (CC) to begin process for the appointment of next Chief Justice.

The JC, headed by CJ Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, wrote to the CC and the Prime Minister’s Office to begin the process, informing

that incumbent Chief Justice is

taking compulsory retirement on December 12, after completing

65 years of age.

“We have mentioned that the CJ is taking compulsory retirement as per Article 105 (1) (B) of the Interim Constitution,” said Jivan Hari Adhikary, secretary, JC.

Rayamajhi expedited the CJ’s appointment process immediately after returning from Vietnam. He arrived here last night after attending a weeklong conference of Chief Justices from the Asia Pacific Countries there.

“He is worried about the delay of the CC meeting,” a Supreme Court (SC) source said. “He intends

to hold the meeting within a few days so that the CC can request

the Hearing Special Committee of the Legislature Parliament to conduct the hearing.”

As per the Legislature Parliament rule, the hearing process takes

15 days.

Senior most SC Justice Anup Raj Sharma is in line to be the next Chief Justice though there are four other Justices eligible for the top judicial post. Sharma would be the first lawyer-turned-CJ in the country.

Justices Ram Prasad Shrestha, Khil Raj Regmi, Bala Ram KC and Top Bahadur Magar are also eligible for the post of CJ as all of them have three years’ experience in the apex court as required by the Article 103(2), which says that a Justice to have worked for three years in the SC is eligible for the CJ’s post.