Lawyers for clipping King’s wings in interim statute

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) today urged the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee, headed by former Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal, not to provide any authority to the King in the interim statute.

In a meeting with the statute drafting panel members, the office bearers of the SCBA sought curtailing of King’s all powers provided by the 1990 Constitution. All the office bearers including President Prakash Raut attended the meeting .

Raut said they demanded provision for formation of an interim government and interim constitution with 411 members including the Maoists and the civil society members.The SCBA also suggested provisions which would discourage frequent issuance of Ordinances. The lawyers’ body also sought provision for formation of a 175-member Constituent Assembly formed through proportional representation on the basis of population and geographical situation.

It also sought provision for fixing a two-year’s time framefor the constituent assembly to promulgate a new constitution.

The SCBA also demanded at least five per cent national budget for the judiciary and to adopt practice to appoint judges from the professional lawyers, law professors and law researchers. It also sought formation of a constitutional court to settle constitutional issues related with the Constituent Assembly and independent constitutional bodies