Kathmandu, March 15:

The visiting Russian Chief Justice V M Lebedev today urged Supreme Court justices to use laws as instruments of democracy.

“He said international laws should get due importance in the national context as the world has became a global village,” SC officiating registrar Dr Ram Krishna Timalsena said following a meeting of Lebedev with the justices of the Supreme Court.

Lebedev held talks with Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel and justices Kedar Prasad Giri and Min Bahadur Rayamajhi.

Later, he held a collective meeting with all the justices of the Supreme Court where he delivered a lecture on the use the laws for democratic process.

The second meet was open to government media but the private media was kept out of it.

Earlier today, King Gyanendra granted an audience to Lebedev in Ratna Mandir in Pokhara.

Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel and Russian Ambassador to Nepal Andrey Trofinov were also present on the occasion, Pokhara-based security sources said. The audience lasted for one-and-a-half hours.

After his return from Pokhara, Lebedev paid a study visit to the Supreme Court. Timalsena quoted the Russian Chief Justice as saying that Russia gives priority to implement international laws if they ever contradicted with the domestic laws.

In his meeting with Lebedev, Chief Justice poudel is learnt to have told the visiting official that the Supreme Court has played a vital role in protecting the rights of the citizens.

Lebedev said his visit to Nepal has set a new trend in the judicial relations between Russia and Nepal. “Russian judiciary has got a new experience and we will invite Nepal’s Chief Justice to Russia to share our legal practice,” Timalsena quoted Lebedev as saying.