KATHMANDU, July 2: Hearing on 26 writ petitions, which seek the restoration of the lower House of the federal parliament, is to continue on Friday as well.
Of the allotted 15 hours, the defendants have 1.30 hours left for the debate on Friday. As many as 13 legal practitioners are scheduled to plead on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and defend the May 22 move to dissolve the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR).
Senior advocates Ramesh Guragain, Bishnu Mani Adhikari and advocate Ishwari Prasad Bhattarai have been allotted 10 minutes each while PM Oli’s legal expert Baburan Dahal will get seven minutes to defend the move.
Hearing on case against cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane today
Advocates Bhojraj Acharya, CP Regmi, Bal Bahadur Rai, Rudra Prasad Pokharel, Shanti Devi Khanal, Bhushnu Maya Bhusal, Dharma Raj Regmi, Ananta Raj Luitel and Loknath Kharel are also debating on behalf of PM Oli.
Following the conclusion of debate from the defendants’ side, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota’s lawyers will plead on the writ petitions. They have been allotted an hour out of 15 hours allocated to the government side.
Senior advocates Shyam Prasad Kharel, Lava Kumar Mainali and Upendra Keshari Neupane and advocates duo Meghraj Pokharel and Shree Krishna Subedi will take part in the debate on behalf of Speaker Sapkota. The Chief Justice-led constitutional bench will provide additional time to them if necessary.
Following the debate by the Speaker's side, the writ petitioners will participate in a reply-debate for three hours.
Four members of the amicus curiae will present their opinion in the allotted two hours. They will have 30 minutes each.
The bench, which comprises justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai including Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR, will issue the final verdict on the case following the arguments by amicus curiae
