CJ holds no grudge against Jha

Himalayan News Service

KATHMANDU: Chief Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhi today clarified that he nursed no grudge against Vice President-elect Paramananda Jha.

“Why should I be biased against Jha. We used to share benches when he was a judge,” Rayamajhi said during a press conference here today making public the installation of CCTV in the courts. He also claimed that he did not chair the investigating panel against him when Jha was involved in a controversy for setting a drug peddler free. “Justices Anup Raj Sharma, Ram Prasad Shrestha and Khil Raj Regmi had investigated into the matter and it is totally baseless to blame me for being biased against him,” the Chief Justice added.

Rayamajhi also added that the Supreme Court issued the verdict against Jha based on the existing constitution. He added that a litigant had no right to cast aspersions on the judiciary after losing a case. Rayamajhi added that political affiliation of a litigant did not concern the court.

Rayamajhi also condemned the move of the Committee on Judicial Structure of Constituent Assembly to keep the judiciary under the purview of the parliament in the new constitution.

“This is not the acceptable. The judicial independence is a must, otherwise democracy cannot function,” Rayamajhi said. He also added that since the bar, media and the intellectuals had been pleading for judicial independence, the CA couldn’t curtail its independence.” Rayamajhi added. “I am hopeful that such a provision would not be there in the Constitution,” he added.

Rayamajhi also clarified on the appointment of district court judges. “We could not secure a quota for the lawyers, as the constitution has no provision for the same,” Rayamajhi added.

The Chief Justice said the installation of CCTV would help control anomalies in the judiciary and expedite justice delivery. “Patan Appellate Court and Kathmandu District Court are under my direct supervision. I can watch the goings-on from my chamber,” he said.