The committee headed by Supreme Court justice Bal Ram KC was set up some four months ago in the wake of increasing instances of threat facing courts and judges around the country.
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The committee is to submit its report to the Chief Justice shortly as it is almost at the final stage of its work.
The CSSC has also proposed to the government to provide one personal security officer (PSOs) to each appellate and district level judge. SC and appellate court chief justices were given this facility some two years ago following an attack on former chief justice Kedar Prasad Giri when he was serving at the apex court.
In the wake of increasing attacks against courts, justices and officials and demonstrations on court premises, the committee reached a decision to recommend to all courts to ensure effective security arrangements in court premises.
“We have decided to recommend to the courts to ensure the safety of litigants, the accused, lawyers, journalists, witnesses, experts, court proceedings observers and others inside the courts” SC justice KC told myrepublica.com.
The report suggests that those who enter court premises should be provided effective security by the court. For that, the government will be asked to arrange security personnel to be stationed in the court.
The courts concerned will be responsible for any attacks on justice seekers, any disturbances and other violent activities that take place inside court premises, it is stated.
Courts can also ask for additional security personnel from the government to control such unwanted activities. The committee has further recommended to the government to provide adequate security personnel for the courts as per their needs.
The Supreme Court, appellate courts and district courts will have to provide security to all those inside the court premises once the recommendations of the Committee are implemented.
KC said that all judges will get one personal security officer for their personal safety. “There shouldn´t be any discrimination among the judges in this regard no matter which court they work for,” KC said.
Chief Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhee said that incidents of attack against courts and justices are a matter of serious concern. He hoped the government would be more serious over the matter as he has already held two rounds of talks with the Home Secretary in this regard. “If the current threat situation persists, judges will be compelled to compromise and it will be difficult for them to deliver impartial justice,” Rayamajhee told myrepublica.com.
Assistant spokesperson of the Supreme Court, Hemanta Rawal, said that the government needs to be serious about addressing this problem.
“In particular, judges and officials serving in the troubled Tarai districts have been receiving death threats. The situation in the capital has also been deteriorating,” Rawal said.
As recently as Friday, a group of people tussled with police in the premises of Kathmandu District Court, demanding stern action against the murderers of Khyati Shrestha.
Rawal asked the government to enforce special security arrangements to provide relief to justices and court officials.
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