Apex court issues interim order against Parliament secretariat decision to invalidate impeachment motion against CJ Rana

On December 7, CJ Rana prepared to return to the Supreme Court after receiving the letter from the parliament secretariat that the impeachment motion filed against him is no longer effective. 

NL Today

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Kathmandu: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order not to implement the decision of the Parliament Secretariat to invalidate the impeachment motion filed against the Supreme Court Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana.

Following the decision of the parliament secretariat to invalidate the impeachment motion, a total of six senior advocates—Krishna Prasad Bhandari, Shambhu Thapa, Badri Bahadur Karki, Purnaman Shakya, Tikaram Bhattarai and Nepal Bar Association President Gopalkrishna Ghimire—pleaded on behalf of the petitioners to annul the decision.

A constitutional bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki comprising Justices Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Khatiwada, Aananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Sinha issued the interim order not to implement the decision of the parliament secretariat. 

With the order, Rana will not be able to resume the work as the chief justice.

On December 7, CJ Rana prepared to return to the Supreme Court after receiving the letter from the parliament secretariat that the impeachment motion filed against him is no longer effective. 

A few days ago, Chief Justice Rana wrote to the parliament seeking notice about the impeachment motion filed against him. In response, Bharat Gautam, general secretary of Parliament secretariat, sent a letter saying the motion against him has become invalid.

Nepal’s Supreme Court had become a battleground of a sort in November, 2021 after the Supreme Court sitting judges, some former Chief Justices, justices and advocates stood in protest demanding resignation of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, accusing him of being involved in collusion with political parties to secure ministerial berths for his relatives. Rana is retiring on December 13.