Parliamentary hearing underway for proposed chief justice Manoj Sharma (Pictures)

Nabin Babu Gurung

Kathmandu, May 19

The parliamentary hearing for the proposed chief justice, Manoj Sharma, is underway in the Parliamentary Hearing Committee of the Federal Parliament.

Sharma is currently presenting his work plan to the committee.

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee had called for complaints against Sharma, following which 16 complaints were filed.

On May 7, a majority decision of the Constitutional Council had recommended Sharma for the post of chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Opposition lawmakers protested, accusing the committee of rushing to conclude the hearing on the same day. They said that the committee was showing undue haste to conclude the hearing without giving sufficient time to read the complaints filed against Sharma.

Sharma was appointed as a Supreme Court justice in April 2019. At the time, lawmakers had raised questions during his parliamentary hearing, saying he had failed to clearly explain the work he intended to do at the Supreme Court.

Parbat Gurung, who was then a lawmaker from the CPN-UML, had commented that Sharma's presentation did not seem “energetic.”