Justice nominee Pokharel faces tough grilling over political ties
Members of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee raised serious concerns regarding his political background and premature resignation from the presidency of the Supreme Court Bar Association, citing potential threats to judicial independence.
KATHMANDU: Meghraj Pokharel, the proposed nominee for Justice of the Supreme Court, faced intense scrutiny from both ruling and opposition lawmakers during his parliamentary hearing on Sunday.
Members of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee raised serious concerns regarding his political background and premature resignation from the presidency of the Supreme Court Bar Association, citing potential threats to judicial independence.
Chief Whip of the CPN-UML, Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, delivered a pointed critique, advising Pokharel to voluntarily withdraw from the nomination process. “Your candidacy raises a risk of judicial deviation,” Bartaula said, questioning Pokharel’s decision to abandon his nearly 1.5-year remaining tenure at the Bar Association to pursue a judicial appointment. “You pledged neutrality seven months ago at the Bar, yet now you leap forward for the bench—what assurance do we have that this won’t erode judicial impartiality?” he asked, reminding the committee of Pokharel’s past legal challenges against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Bartaula concluded with a personal suggestion: “It would be better if you respectfully recuse yourself from this process.”
Former Minister and Nepali Congress lawmaker Gyanendra Bahadur Karki also raised ethical concerns. “It is inappropriate for someone elected to a prestigious post like the Bar presidency to resign before completing the term,” he remarked, stressing that such a move casts doubt on the nominee’s ethical standing.
Echoing similar worries, UML Whip Sunita Baral said recurring reports of political affiliations among nominees undermine the credibility of the judiciary as a whole. “Your presentation has further fueled skepticism about the integrity of justice delivery,” she added.
The hearing has cast a cloud of uncertainty over Pokharel’s nomination, with lawmakers demanding clearer assurances of his judicial independence and nonpartisanship
