Ruling RSP lawmakers criticize Nepal's judiciary — Kathmandu Post

In Nepal, two lawmakers from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) criticized the judicial system and called for its reform. As Kathmandu Post reports, their statements came after an interim order by the Constitutional Bench that suspended the implementation of two provisions of the House of Representatives Rules of Procedure.

Statements by RSP lawmakers

Lawmaker and lawyer Yagya Mani Neupane said that the Constitution and the government had changed, but the judicial system also needed to be reorganized for citizens to see tangible changes. His remarks concerned a court ruling on provisions of the rules that provided for a different method of calculating the two-thirds voting threshold, allowing votes from both houses of parliament to be combined.

Another RSP lawmaker, Madhu Kumar Chaulagain, claimed that the judiciary, which is meant to deliver justice to people, was moving toward authoritarianism. The publication also recalled that in May, lawmaker Samikshya Banskota publicly urged judges to take off their robes and join politics.

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The publication's editorial position

A Kathmandu Post editorial states that Nepal's judicial system and the decisions of individual judges may be criticized, but such criticism must be based on legal arguments rather than political expediency. The authors believe that regular public attacks on the judiciary following decisions unfavorable to the government may pressure it and weaken its independence.

The publication emphasized the role of an independent court in the system of separation of powers, especially when one party holds an absolute majority and parliament does not fully oversee the executive branch. If the RSP considers judicial reform necessary, it should be carried out through constitutional means, with proper justification and safeguards to preserve judicial independence, the publication said.