KATHMANDU, JUNE 04
In a significant development, the Supreme Court of Nepal has issued a short-term interim order, preventing the government from implementing the recently approved amended Citizenship Act.
The order comes after President Ramchandra Paudel gave his approval to the bill last week. A single bench comprising Judge Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma granted the interim order and adjourned proceedings for both parties until the 26th of the Nepali month.
The purpose of the adjournment is to allow further discussion on whether an interim order should be issued or not.
Prominent senior advocates have expressed their concerns regarding the constitutionality of the bill. Surendra Bhandari and Balkrishna Neupane filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, contending that President Paudel's certification of the bill goes against constitutional provisions.
The petition argues that the provisions cited by the President during the bill's validation were unrelated to the purpose of the Bill Validation. It further asserts that the bill was validated based on incorrect constitutional provisions, effectively attacking the constitutional integrity. As a result, the petitioners emphasize that the implementation of the validated bill should be delayed and not enforced immediately.
The Supreme Court's decision to issue the interim order has put a temporary halt to the implementation of the amended Citizenship Act, pending further deliberation and examination of the constitutional issues raised in the writ petition.
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