KATHMANDU: The Judicial Council (JC) headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Min Bahadur Rayamajhi today recommended to the CJ to appoint 74 judges of Appellate Courts and District Courts.

The council has recommended 47 judges for the Appellate Courts and 27 for District Courts as per the Article 109 of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007.

Of the total 47 appellate court judges to be inducted, 23 district court judges will be promoted. While, 14 advocates will get direct appointment, four special class officials in the judicial service and six first class judicial officers will get the appointment in the appellate courts. In the district judges’ posts, judges selected from judicial service, government lawyers and those involved in legal service of the government will be appointed.

Top judicial staffs, including the council secretary Prakash Kumar Dhungana, two deputy attorney generals — Tika Bahadur Hamal and Kumar Chundal — will get the appointment in the appellate courts. Similarly, retired law secretary Dr Kul Ratna Bhurtel will also be appointed in the same post.

Others judges of the appellate courts include the senior staffs of the Supreme Court — Til Prasad Shrestha, spokesperson of the apex court, first class officer Binod Sharma.

Out of the total appointee, law practitioners get 25 per cent out of the total appointment.

Advocates Sallauddin Akhatar Siddiqui, Bidur Bikram Thapa, Rewanta Kunwar and Neeta Gautam Dixit will get direct appointment for permanent judges in the appellate courts. Similarly, advocates Shiva Raj Adhikari, Kishwor Silwal, Ramchandra Yadav, Mihir Kumar Thakur, Thir Bahadur Karki, Raj Kumar Ban, Dwarika Man Joshi, Satya Mohan Joshi Tharu, Saranga Subedi, Ratna Bahadur Bagchand are also the appellate court judges.

“Though appointments are not as per our expectation,” said Hari Uprety, vice president of Nepal Bar Association. “This is not encouraging for law practitioners whatsoever.”