Kathmandu, January 15, 2008

Maoist Chairman Prachanda has called for postponing implementation of the Constituent Assembly election code of conduct by 15 days, saying that the seven parties need more time to execute the 23-point agreement signed three weeks ago.

The code of conduct comes into force from tomorrow. Prachanda’s proposal came at a meeting of the high-level coordination committee of the seven parties held at the CPN-Maoist central office today. The committee did not take any decision on the proposal, but said they would put it forward to the government. “The proposal has been made since the parties need some more time in the implementation of the 23-point agreement signed on December 23,” Sarita Giri, central leader of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) told this daily.

According to C P Mainali of the United Left Front, the government would have to take up the proposal with the Election Commission. “The rest depends on the government and the Commission,” he added. Today’s meeting also formed a task force to work out the modalities to run the local bodies. The taskforce has been asked to submit its report to the coordination committee on January 20.

The taskforce comprises Maoist central leader and Minister for Local Development Dev Gurung, UML’s Rajendra Pandey, Kumar Belbase of the United Left Front, Leela Mani Pokhrel of the Janamorcha Nepal, Sarita Giri of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) and one each from the Nepali Congress and the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party.

JC comes up with conduct code for judges

Kathmandu, January 15, 2008

Judicial Council has prepared a draft of Judges’ Code of Conduct-2008 with an aim to sustain public confidence in the judiciary and make the judges accountable to the society.

The code states that the judges should not involve in any activity that may put them in bad light before the public. The draft was prepared to replace the Judges’ Code of Conduct-1998, which is under consideration by a committee headed by Supreme Court Justice Khila Raj Regmi. It urges the judges not to establish any personal relation with lawyers or clients in any case.

Clause 3(4) of the code bars judges from deciding any case involving their kin and prevents the judges from meeting lawyers and parties of a case at his or her residence. The code prevents Supreme Court judges from practicing law after their retirement and bars judges from getting involved in public discussion on any case that may raise question on their impartiality. The code of conduct also prohibits the judges from accepting membership of any political party, to donate or to participate in any political conference and attend any political forum to discuss a judicial matter. It also bars family members of the judges from carrying out activities that may raise doubts about judges’ impartiality.