Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha’s Nomination for Chief Justice Approved by Parliamentary Hearing Committee

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has given its seal of approval to the recommendation of the Constitutional Council to appoint Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of Nepal.

In a session convened at Singha Durbar, the Committee formally endorsed the nomination of Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha to take on the role of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The meeting presided over by Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana, the senior-most member of the Committee in terms of age, received unanimous support for Shrestha’s appointment.

During the proceedings, Shrestha presented an 18-page action plan outlining his vision for the future of the judiciary. Prior to this, the Committee thoroughly reviewed and addressed any complaints that had been submitted against Shrestha’s proposed appointment.

In accordance with constitutional provisions, the appointment of the Chief Justice is recommended by the Constitutional Council and subsequently endorsed by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee before the President formalizes the appointment.

Since August 5, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha has been serving as the acting Chief Justice following the retirement of the previous Chief Justice, Hari Krishna Karki, due to reaching the age limit.

On August 3, the Constitutional Council put forth the nomination of Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, a 63-year-old seasoned judge of the Supreme Court, to assume the position of Chief Justice. After the nomination, the Parliamentary Hearing Committee on August 9 invited complaints, if any, against the proposed Chief Justice. Three complaints were received, each of which needed to be presented in a respectful manner and supported by evidence.