KATHMANDU, March 4: After a hiatus of six months, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court is sitting today. Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana, who is currently under suspension after the ruling parties filed an impeachment motion against him, was not able to hold a constitutional bench since September last year.

A constitutional bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki is set to convene after the impeachment motion against CJ Rana was registered at the Parliament Secretariat on February 13.

There is a constitutional provision for a five-member constitutional bench headed by the Chief Justice. Issues that are in conflict with the constitution and need serious interpretation are settled by the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Bench could not sit for six months due to agitation launched by lawyers across Chief Justice Rana.

Earlier, all other justices at the apex court refused to attend the bench demanding resignation of Rana. After the suspension of Rana, the Constitutional Bench is about to be held.

About 300 cases are pending in the Constitutional Court. A total of 37 cases were scheduled to be heard in the Constitutional Court on September 29. Since then the session has been adjourned. 

Earlier, the constitutional bench was held every Wednesday and Friday. The issue of appointments made by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the constitutional organs through an ordinance is also under consideration in the bench.

 
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