Kathmandu, January 1

Mahottari chapter of Nepal Bar Association boycotted the bench of District Judge Shyam Sundari Adhikari stating that the latter lacked efficiency and conduct of a judge.

President of Mahottari Bar Association Ram Shankar Prasad Sah told THT that his office took a decision yesterday to boycott Judge Adhikari’s bench and informed the NBA, High Court Bar Association, Dhanusha, and the Judicial Council of its decision.

Sah said his office took the decision after their attempts to find a negotiated settlement with the judge failed. There were almost a dozen cases where Judge

Adhikari issued rulings beyond the scope of the law, he argued. “When Mahottari Bar representatives raised this issue in the Bar and Bench meeting held recently, Adhikari refused to admit his mistake. He said that he made ruling keeping in mind humanitarian aspects involved in the cases,” Sah said without elaborating any specific case.

Sah said lawyers were concerned that if Adhikari adjudicated cases, people would be deprived of justice.

Adhikari told THT that he had not made any mistake in any case and the lawyers had levelled accusations against him after they did not get favourable results in their clients’ cases from his bench.

“The lawyers’ act is a mockery of the rule of law,” Adhikari said, adding that the bench would make efforts to hold dialogue with the Bar representatives tomorrow to settle the row.