Setting a low bar

The tussle between the bar and the bench is eroding people’s trust in the judiciary.

The tussles between the bench and the bar, two complementary branches of the judiciary in normal course, are becoming far too common in Nepal. The conflict between the two sides is a worrying sign for the overall health of the country’s legal system. Take the recent appointment of two Supreme Court justices as the most recent case in point. The Judicial Council on September 27 nominated two high court chief judges as Supreme Court justices even as lawyers were protesting against the possible nominations. The dispute took a nasty turn after the Supreme Court administration on Tuesday filed a contempt of court case against Nepal Bar Association President Gopal Krishna Ghimire for criticising the justice selection process. He had accused the council of picking the two justices based on a monetary deal.