Terms of 26 ad-hoc judges extended at last

KATHMANDU, June 9: Judicial Council has extended the terms of 26 ad-hoc judges of various appellate courts for six months. A Judicial Council meeting on Tuesday decided to extend their terms for six months as their terms were set to expire Tuesday.

Altogether 27 ad-hoc judges were appointed at various appellate courts on June 9, 2011 but Judge Rameshwar Man Amatya already retired from the position due to age limit. The JC had renewed the terms of the remaining 26 last year for a year.The Judicial Council was unable to discuss the fate of the ad-hoc judges till Tuesday as the previous meetings of the council were overshadowed by the dispute between Chief Justice Ram Kumar Prasad Shah and Minister for Law and Justice Narahari Acharya about recommending names for the position of permanent justices at the Supreme Court.

Regarding the issue, the ad-hoc judges on Sunday had met with the chief justice and expressed their concerns over the indecision.

As Ram Prasad Sitaula, the member of the council appointed on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, took the oath of office on Monday, the judicial council met on Tuesday and took the decision of extension.

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