KATHMANDU, July 16: Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki has said that he is preparing to convene a meeting of the Judicial Council soon to appoint judges on time.
In a meeting with the officials of the Constitutional and Judicial Journalists' Forum, he said that the judicial appointment process was delayed due to the failure of the Judicial Council to hold its meeting on time.
Chief Justice Karki mentioned that due to the delay in the process of appointing judges, he is preparing to hold a meeting of the council as soon as possible.
Referring to the vacancies of seven justices at the Supreme Court and 60 judges in the high courts, he said, “According to the constitutional provisions, recommendations should be made one month in advance, but the meeting of the Judicial Council has been delayed.”
Chief Justice Karki said that only if the judges are appointed on time will the speed of the clearance of cases increase, “The Supreme Court has a provision of 21 justices including the Chief Justice, but when it is not done according to that, the pressure of hearing cases increases as only five judges have to work.”
He said that the process of deciding cases at the Supreme Court has been accelerated and if it works in the current way, old cases can be disposed of in the two years.
Informing the journalists about the resolution of cases up to the financial year 2067/68 BS, Chief Justice Karki said that more than 3,500 cases exceeding five years have been disposed of in one year.
He said that the old cases are being prioritized in four benches for four days a week.
Chief Justice Karki is working on a plan to reduce the two-year-old cases in the high and district courts to zero.