KATHMANDU, March 11: The Judicial Council (JC) has forwarded the names of six Supreme Court (SC) justices to the Constitutional Council (CC) for consideration for the post of the next Chief Justice.
The JC prepared a list of eligible justices and recommended it to the CC, from which one will be appointed as chief justice.
Incumbent Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut is set to retire on April 1 after reaching the constitutional age limit of 65, prompting the process for appointing his successor.
Judicial Council recommends six candidates for the appointment...
Based on seniority, the JC has recommended the names of Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phuyal, Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Dr Nahakul Subedi and Til Prasad Shrestha.
Article 129 of the Constitution of Nepal outlines provisions related to the appointment and qualifications of the chief justice and Supreme Court justices. According to Clause (2) of the article, the president appoints the chief justice on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, while other Supreme Court justices are appointed based on the recommendation of the Judicial Council.
Clause (3) states that a person who has served as a SC justice for at least three years is eligible to be appointed as chief justice. In line with this provision, the JC recommended the names of all justices who have completed the required three-year tenure.
The CC, chaired by the prime minister, will select one candidate from the recommended list. After finalizing the name, the council will forward it to the parliamentary hearing committee for confirmation.
Once the committee approves the recommendation, the president will formally appoint the chief justice, as per constitutional provisions. The tenure of the chief justice is six years.
