Nepal’s Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) has unanimously approved Supreme Court Justice Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court following a parliamentary hearing held today. The endorsement was made in accordance with Rule 26(5) of the Regulations for the Working Procedures of the Joint Meeting of the Federal Parliament and Joint Committee, 2080. Earlier, the Constitutional Council had recommended Dr. Sharma for the post.
Traditionally, Nepal’s judiciary has followed the convention of appointing the senior-most judge as chief justice, a practice regarded as essential for maintaining institutional stability. However, Dr. Sharma, who ranks fourth in seniority, was selected over senior justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, and Hari Prasad Phuyal.
The PHC reached its decision after deliberating on lawmakers’ questions and reviewing the action plan presented by Dr. Sharma during the hearing. In the session held earlier on Tuesday, he also responded to queries from members of parliament and addressed 16 complaints lodged against him.
