Nepalgunj, March 23

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said all Nepalis should be one on securing the national goal of economic prosperity by building on historic political achievements.

Inaugurating the All Nepal Law Professionals National Conference organised by Nepal Bar Association here today, President Bhandari said the association has played a laudable role in the country’s democratisation process.

“Law professionals need to play a crucial role in implementing the constitution, increasing citizen’s access to justice, ensuring political stability and safeguarding the political achievements so far,” she said.

The president said the recent incidents relating to the judiciary were of serious nature and the conference’s attention should be drawn towards that. The role of law professionals in further strengthening the judiciary’s image will be important, she said.

Noting that the judiciary’s power was public trust, President Bhandari said all sides should work to enhance the international prestige of Nepal’s judiciary through uniformity in the interpretation of the constitution and the law.

The president also said that law professionals should play the role of facilitators in the enforcement of laws. “Law professionals should seek their role in accordance with the spirit and principle of ‘let a hundred guilty be acquitted, but one innocent should not be convicted’,” the president stressed.

Chief Minister of Province 5 Shankar Pokhrel said the association should establish itself as an advocate of the rule of law. Former parliament speaker Subas Chandra Nembang said, “We will amend the constitution as per the spirit of the Nepali people and the need of  time.”

NBA President Sher Bahadur KC presided over the inaugural programme which was also addressed by Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshi, Attorney General Agni Prasad Kharel, federal and provincial lawmakers, and the association’s central vice-president Shalikram Sapkota and general secretary Khamba Bahadur Khati. On the occasion, NBA President KC presented a souvenir to the president, the chief minister and former House speaker.

Papers on 10 different topics will be presented and discussed in the conference that will conclude on Sunday. The conference is also scheduled to issue ‘Nepalgunj Declaration’.

Three thousand law professionals from across the country are taking part in the conference.