Supreme Court weighs special benches as government pushes infrastructure tribunal
Summary
The Supreme Court is weighing whether Nepal should create special infrastructure benches in the high courts or establish a separate tribunal to speed up disputes that have delayed major projects for years. The government plans to draft legislation after receiving the court’s recommendation.
Key Points
- Major infrastructure projects in Nepal have faced long delays due to land disputes, compensation issues, court cases and contract disagreements.
- The government has proposed a separate infrastructure tribunal, but most Supreme Court judges favor specialised benches within the high courts instead.
- The full court is expected to give its recommendation next week, after which the Cabinet will move ahead with legislation.
- Legal experts warn the proposed tribunal could be overwhelmed unless its jurisdiction is tightly defined.
