KATHMANDU, Oct 29: Justices of the Supreme Court (SC) have demanded the resignation of Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana, claiming that the issue of the chief justice seeking his ‘share’ in the government through political give-and-take was a very grave one.
The justices have claimed that there has been obstruction and deviation in the judiciary as there is no transparency in the process of scheduling the cases because of the incompetence of the leadership of the judiciary. Among the 20 justices currently serving at the SC including Chief Justice Rana, 19 are against the chief justice.
On the other hand, Chief Justice Rana has said that he will not resign from his post but will rather face impeachment in parliament if such a move was taken against him. Rana has made a stand that he will vacate his post only through the constitutional process. Following Rana’s announcement, the 19 SC justices have decided to hold a discussion on Friday and move ahead according to the conclusion of the discussion.
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One of the justices said that the issue regarding the give-and-take between the political parties and the judiciary is being taken very seriously. There is no way to get justice if the politicians and justices are hands in glove.
In an interview with Nagarik daily on Wednesday, Chief Justice Rana claimed that discussions were being held with the other SC justices to resolve the raging issue in the judiciary. However, the justices claim that no meeting was held on the matter.
“A leadership which seeks his share in political appointments will not let the judiciary be independent,” a justice said. “The involvement of the judiciary in a political give-and-take is a very grave issue.”
“The people have lost hope in the leadership of the judiciary. There is a fear that the people’s trust in the judiciary will be completely eroded if they do not trust its leadership. “How can there be justice, when the details regarding the day of the case and which bench will be looking over the case is already announced beforehand,” a justice said. Justices have also stated that disputes in the judiciary have come to the surface due to the inability of its leadership to lead the constitutional justice system.
Furthermore, the SC justices claim that the credibility of the judiciary was affected due to its incapable leadership and failure to retain its usefulness. “The independence of the judiciary and its dignity has been damaged by its leadership. The credibility of the judiciary is sure to fall as long as Rana holds the post of the chief justice,” a justice said. He said that he did not believe that reforms would take place as there was a lack of efficient leadership.
