Lawyers’ national conference start

Kathmandu March 1-The four-day national conference of legal practitioners’ in the country kicked off in the capital, Kathmandu, Wednesday calling for constitutional supremacy and rule of law.

Justice at the Supreme Court, Anup Raj Sharma, inaugurated the conference organized by Nepal Bar Association (NBA) on the occasion of golden jubilee of its establishment amidst a ceremony organized at the Birendra International Conference Center (BIIC) this morning.

Sharma was a member of the five-member special bench of the apex court that declared last month the controversial Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) as ‘unconstitutional’ and held that the sovereignty and state power of the kingdom of Nepal vested in the Nepalis people, not elsewhere.

Addressing the conference president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Bishnu Nisthuri lauded the role of the lawyers in restroing rule of law in the country. Alleging that a conspiracy was going on the at the bank of famous lakes and ponds in Nepal to sideline people’s sovereignty, Nisthuri said lawyers, journalists and other professionals would continue their fight until democracy, human rights and rule of law was established in the country.

Vice chairman of the NBA, Sher Bahadur KC, said NBA will not compromise with anybody on the issue of supremacy of the country’s constitution. He also called upon the king to give up his direct rule by honoring the recent verdict of the apex court.

Country director of the Action Aid Nepal, Dr. Shivesh Chandra Regmi expressed his solidarity and full support towards efforts aimed at restoration of rule of law and total democracy in Nepal. He said the situation in Nepal had turned into a terrible state, rights violations was rampant and perpetrators enjoyed impunity. Socially excluded and poorest of the poor have been most affected by the decade-old conflict, he said. He also lauded the role being played by NBA in defending and promoting human rights in the country.

Representatives of the Norwegian Bar Association and Delegation of the European Commission in Nepal also expressed their views on the occasion.

The four-day conference is to deliberate on various aspects related to constitutional democracy, human rights and the on-going conflict and is expected to come up with recommendations.

The main theme of the national conference is “Human Rights, Rule of Law and Inclusive Democracy: (Means for) Resolving Conflict,”

NBA this time did not invite the Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel and ad hoc judge Pawan Kumar Ojha to be the chief guest at the convention of the lawyers' body, thus breaking precedent. "We have, however, invited other judges," told president thapa .