The Supreme Court administration has refused to register petitions filed against the Constitutional Council’s recommendation for Chief Justice, alleging violation of seniority. Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi has claimed that the Constitutional Council’s decision contradicts the fundamental spirit of the Constitution and therefore filed the petitions. The council recommended Dr. Manojkumar Sharma, ranked fourth in seniority, over senior judges for the position of Chief Justice. Kathmandu, 25 Baisakh.
The petitions registered at the Supreme Court were not accepted by the court administration. Senior advocates Dinesh Tripathi, Geeta Thapa, and Dr. Prem Raj Silwal had each submitted separate petitions. Supreme Court spokesperson Arjun Koirala confirmed that these petitions were rejected for registration. Since the petitions were submitted, the administration has delayed their registration process.
According to Tripathi, the Constitutional Council’s decision is inconsistent with the core principles of the Constitution, and thus an interim order was sought to prevent advancing the recommendation before any amendment or parliamentary hearing. The petition also demands cancellation of the April 24 recommendation for failing to convene within 48 hours, deeming the recommendation unconstitutional.
The Constitutional Council had recommended Dr. Manojkumar Sharma, ranked fourth among six eligible candidates, for the Chief Justice post. Senior judges including Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, and Hariprasad Phuyal are senior to Dr. Sharma.
