Parliamentary hearing begins for Chief Justice nominee Dr Sharma

KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Hearing Committee of the federal parliament on Tuesday conducted a hearing on Chief Justice nominee Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma.

According to the committee, the hearing was conducted as per Section 19 of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee Procedure, 2026.

Tul Bahadur Kandel, secretary of the committee, said the hearing began at 1:30 pm on Tuesday.

A meeting of the Constitutional Council held on May 7 had recommended Dr Sharma for the post of Chief Justice. He was among the six names proposed by the Judicial Council. Other justices recommended by the council included senior-most Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phuyal, Dr Nahakul Subedi and Til Prasad Shrestha.

The decision to nominate Dr Sharma, who is fourth in the seniority hierarchy among Supreme Court justices, sparked controversy, with many viewing the move as executive interference in the judiciary.