SC issues show-cause order against President; Acting CJ Karki retires

Kathmandu / Sept. 25: The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday issued a show-cause order on writ petitions filed against President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday.

The SC issued the show-cause order in the name of President Bhandari, asking the head of state why she didn’t authenticate the Citizenship Bill.

A hearing on the writ petitions filed against the President took place today. A single bench of Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal issued the show cause order in the name of the President and sought a written response from the President’s Office.

Five petitions were filed at the SC against the President after the citizenship bill was not certified by the President.

Both houses of the federal parliament had passed the bill and sent it to the President’s Office for verification. However, the bill was sent back by the President both times.

There is a constitutional provision that the President must certify the bills passed by parliament for a second time within 15 days. But President Bhandari did not certify the bill even as the 15-day ‘deadline’ passed. Writ petitions were filed at the Supreme Court claiming that the President had not fulfilled her constitutional obligations.

Acting Chief Justice Karki retires

Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki was bidden farewell today.

Acting Chief Justice Karki will retire on October 3 due to the age limit of 65 years. As the Dashain holiday starts tomorrow, Karki was bidden farewell today itself.

After the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana was filed in Parliament on February 13, Karki took over the leadership of the Supreme Court as the acting Chief Justice. Karki became a justice of the Supreme Court in 2073BS.