Kathmandu, May 19: The Nepal Bar Association has decided to light lanterns in broad daylight today in protest against the Supreme Court of Nepal administration’s refusal to register writ petitions and applications, calling it an obstruction to justice.
The decision came after a meeting of the Bar on Monday, following discussions with acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla. The association concluded that the Supreme Court administration had engaged in “unexpected activities and conduct.”
According to Bar General Secretary Kedar Koirala, lawyers will gather at the Bar premises to protest and symbolically seek justice, reason, and a fair legal process.
The Bar said the court administration had returned several writ petitions and applications without registering them, effectively blocking access to legal remedies. It argued that this action had created a serious barrier to the justice system.
The association stated that despite an order from the acting Chief Justice to register the petitions for review under Article 136 of the Constitution, Section 35 of the Judicial Administration Act 2016, and Rules 7 and 8 of the Supreme Court Rules 2017, the administration failed to comply.
It also expressed concern over comments made by some members in the House of Representatives of Nepal on Monday regarding the same issue.
In its formal decision, the Bar announced that lawyers would light lanterns at 1:15 pm on May 19 at the Nepal Bar Association premises to protest what it called the court administration’s unusual conduct and to demand justice and clean procedure. Humanity loves symbolism: when institutions stop working in daylight, people bring lanterns at noon.
The Bar said refusing to register petitions without valid reason falls outside administrative authority and directly obstructs judicial access. It described the administration’s refusal to follow even the acting Chief Justice’s order as “extraordinary and unnatural.”
It warned that the incident would remain on record as a historic mistake and could trigger legal consequences under existing law.
The association also said Article 105 of the Constitution, which bars parliamentary discussion on sub judice matters, had been ignored.
In a pointed remark, the Bar said emotionally driven and arrogant expressions eventually end in regret. It has urged Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal to remove such remarks from parliamentary records and prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Bar added that it would announce further protest programs based on suggestions from its advisers and regional units.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment