Nepal’s chief justice refuses to resign amid allegations of collusion with government

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KATMANDU: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Cholendra Shumsher Rana, refused to resign from his post amid allegations he helped his brother-in-law secure a place in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba , triggering an unusual legal crisis. A section of Supreme Court justices called for Chief Justice Rana to resign while some lawyers decided to boycott the Supreme Court. In a meeting with 15 Supreme Court justices on Tuesday, Rana said he was not going to step down just because voices were raised on the streets and in the media for him to step down from the top post. . “Rana told the judges that he preferred to face the constitutional process but that he would not leave his post,” Supreme Court spokesman Baburam Dahal told PTI. “I will not withdraw under any pressure, but I will follow legal process if necessary,” said Rana, quoted by Dahal. A section of lawyers has decided to boycott the Supreme Court as judges are busy holding meetings, affecting hearings, just as there are thousands of pending cases. The Nepalese Bar Association also warned to hold nationwide protests if Rana did not voluntarily resign. Supreme Court spokesman Dahal, however, said some judges started returning to normal work from Wednesday. According to the constitutional provision, 25% of lawmakers in the House of Representatives can file an impeachment motion against the chief justice and it takes a two-thirds majority vote to approve the impeachment motion leading to the removal of the chief justice. . Rana is accused of entering into an implicit matching deal with the executive by seeking to induct her brother-in-law into the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as a reward for overturning the decision of the former Prime Minister’s government KP Sharma Oli to dissolve Parliament twice. However, Rana rejected the charges against him by the Nepalese Bar Association and some Supreme Court justices. Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Gajendra Bahadur Hamal tendered his resignation 48 hours after being appointed to the cabinet headed by Deuba on October 10, following media reports that he had was appointed on the recommendation of Chief Justice Rana. However, the judges demanded Rana’s resignation, as impeaching the minister on the issue was not sufficient as it would tarnish the image of justice.

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