Kathmandu, February 7
Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana has requested defendants of the case filed against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s decision of dissolving the House of Representatives to present all of their arguments by coming Friday.
Chief Justice Rana says he is under pressure to conclude the hearing so as to let the court’s amicus curiae provide their suggestions and let the justices think about the issue before handing down the final verdict on the politically significant case.
The court is hearing 13 writ petitions filed against the decision. Although the hearing about the constitutionality of the decision made on December 20, 2020, had begun on December 25, the bench spent weeks to decide whether the five-member constitutional bench would hear it or a new extended full bench is formed. The actual debate on the legitimacy of the case had begun on January 17 only.
After the petitioners presented their arguments, the government attorneys and advocates hired by the defendants are defending the decision since February 1.
As advocate Ramesh Badal, hired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, was speaking today, CJ Rana said his side should complete presenting their arguments within this week.
It is unlikely that the court verdict will come before March.
