Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Shumsher Rana has been suspended after the ruling coalition registered an impeachment motion against him on Sunday.
General Secretary at the House of Representatives (HoR) Gopal Nath Yogi confirmed with Setopati that a few lawmakers arrived with the impeachment motion signed by 98 lawmakers and registered it. "We are now at the office of speaker," Yogi stated.
The lawmakers registering the impeachment motion against CJ Rana include Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers Gagan Thapa, Minendra Rijal, Pushpa Bhusal, and CPN (Maoist Center) lawmaker Dev Gurung among others.
CJ Rana will not be able to carry out his duty after registration of the impeachment motion until it is concluded by the House, according to Article 101(6) of the Constitution. The impeachment motion will have to be passed with two-third majority of both the HoR and the National Assembly to remove him permanently.
The House will have to investigate on the allegations made against CJ Rana. A 11-member impeachment recommendation committee will have to be formed to proceed the impeachment process. CJ Rana will get to defend the charges leveled against him before the motion is presented to the federal parliament for voting.
No office-bearer has been removed through impeachment after promulgation of the new Constitution in 2015. An impeachment motion was registered against the then CJ Sushila Karki but it was revoked by the SC after the impeachment process did not proceed further.
