CJ Giri may step in to resolve Judicial Council deadlock

Kathmandu, December 25:

Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri is likely to take steps to resolve the deadlock cropped up in the functioning of the Judicial Council next week. Giri, also the ex-officio chairperson of the JC, has initiated process of dialogue for solving the problem.

CJ Giri has scheduled to hold talks with the rift parties and called the government not to take stance on the issue. A Supreme Court source revealed that the Chief Justice has fixed separate schedules of meetings with the minister for law and justice and senior advocates in order to settle the dispute. “We will be able to find out a solution by the next week if everything goes as expected,” the source told this daily. The JC members have also suggested

that the Chief Justice play his role as the head of the institution and calling the government to give up its wrong stand.

“Yes, the Chief Justice is scheduled to hold meeting with the senior lawyers and the Nepal Bar Association representatives next week,” NBA President Bishwo Kanta Mainali confirmed. The lawyers’ body demanded that Chief Justice intervene for resolving the crisis through its decision last week. The Judicial Council could not hold even a meeting in the last two months due to the rift between the Law Minister and the JC member which created a hurdle for the appointment of around four dozen judges in the judiciary.

Moti Kaji Sthapit said that it would be appropriate if the CJ, who is the head of the institution, intervened into the problem for the solution. “I am also waiting for his initiative as a right way to put an end to the problem,” he added.