Rights groups skip parliamentary discussions on alleged pressure on Supreme Court justices
Summary
Three international rights groups skipped a parliamentary committee discussion after raising concerns over alleged government pressure on senior Supreme Court justices in Nepal. Their joint statement warned that recent changes to the Constitutional Council Act and reported impeachment threats could undermine judicial independence.
Key Points
- Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists were invited to a House committee discussion but did not attend.
- The groups had accused the government of political interference in Nepal’s judiciary and said recent ordinance-based changes could affect judicial appointments.
- They said senior justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi and Hari Phuyal were pressured to resign under threat of impeachment.
- The organisations urged transparent, merit-based judicial reforms and protection of judicial independence.
