Lawyers condemn Dr Giri's remarks

Kathmandu, March 11- Legal experts flayed remarks made by the first vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers, Dr Tulsi Giri, against the judiciary. They said Dr Giri has no respect for the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the Royal Commission for Corruption Control.

“This is a serious attack on the independence of judiciary,” Nepal Bar Association’s General Secretary Madhav Banskota said .According to him, Dr Giri had no right to comment on any verdict of the SC as he has been facing contempt of court cases. “Moreover, he is an unconstitutional vice-chairman of an unconstitutional government. He also has no authority to interpret the constitution,” he said.

“The NBA condemns such an attack by anyone on the independent judiciary,” Banskota said, adding: “This is a question of contempt of court since the Constitution has made the judiciary independent and a person like Dr Giri has no authority even to talk about its accountability.”

A Supreme Court Justice said on condition of anonymity that Dr Giri’s remark was contemptuous.Senior advocate Bishwo Kanta Mainali said Dr Giri spoke his frustration out.“Since he is frustrated by politics as the government’s road map has failed, he has started delivering speeches while in a state of delirium,” he said.

Inaugurating the first national conference of the Federation of National Journalists yesterday, Dr Giri had said there will be judicial anarchy in the absence of parliament. He had also said that Article 127 of the Constitution can be interpreted by the parliament and not by the Supreme Court.