Nepal parliament secretariat notice on suspended Chief Justice sparks debate

Kathmandu, Dec 8: The impeachment motion earlier registered against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana in Nepal parliament has now become inactive, the Parliament General Secretary, Dr Bharatraj Gautam announced issuing a notice on Wednesday (Dec 7).

Earlier, on Wednesday (Dec 7), Gautam issued a notice stating the impeachment motion has become inactive and sent the letter to suspended Chief Justice Rana that invited criticism and protest from Nepal Bar Association as well as the government. Rana, who is due to retire as Nepal's Chief Justice on December 13 has been kept under tight security and observation at his government residence in Baluwatar, a residential area of Nepal.

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General Secretary Gautam also sent a letter to the President's Office, the Prime Minister's Office, the Office of the Council of Ministers, the Constitutional Council, the Supreme Court, the Judicial Council and CJ Rana, informing them that the impeachment motion against CJ Rana has become inactive. "The earlier letter from the (parliament's) general secretary that had barred honourable Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana from performing his duties has become ineffective with the completion of the new House of Representatives elections on Nov 20," the letter read.

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"The impeachment motion has also been rendered ineffective as the process did not move ahead even after the Impeachment Motion Recommendation Committee submitted its report following an investigation after the motion was filed and initial discussions were held at the House of Representatives," the letter added further. A writ petition requesting not to enforce the letter from the Federal Parliament Secretariat about the impeachment of suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana has been filed at the Supreme Court as Rana prepares to return to the court. Senior advocate Purnaman Shakya and others submitted a writ petition at SC on Wednesday (Dec 7) urging it not to implement the Parliament Secretariat's verdict on the impeachment motion still under consideration by the parliament.