Chief Justice Sushila Karki has remarked that the judiciary should not be attacked based on any class and personal interests.

Addressing a programme organised by the Supreme Court to mark the 65^th Law Day on Tuesday, Justice Karki said the attempt to subvert independence of judiciary would pose challenges to democracy and drew the attention of stakeholders towards it.

“It would not be good to anybody if a sensitive body of state like judiciary was interfered based on class and personal interests,” said CJ Karki, “The attempt to undermine the independence of judiciary would weaken the rule of law and democracy.”

Karki underscored that it is everyone’s duty to ensure independence of judiciary and increase its capacity. She added that only a collective effort for creative activities would improve the judicial system.

Last Sunday as many as 249 lawmakers from the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) had registered an impeachment motion against CJ Karki accusing her of passing a verdict based on wrong facts in a case that is sub judice at the apex court. She was suspended from the post after motion was registered at the Parliament Secretariat. On Friday, the SC issued an interim order directing the legislature to put on hold the impeachment motion and to reinstate her to CJ post.

Breaking from the past tradition, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, House Speaker Onsari Gharti, Attorney General Raman Shrestha and Law Minister Agni Prasad Kharel remained conspicuously absent in the programme organised every year.

The dignitaries skipped the programme hosted by CJ Sushila Karki to mark the occasion of Law Day, indicating the frozen relation between the government and judiciary.

Only Information Minister Surendra Karki from the government was present during the programme.

On the occasion of Law Day, legal practitioners expressed sadness over the attack on independent judiciary from several quarters. In a separate programme organised by Save Judicieary Campaign, the legal eagles demanded an end to political interference in judiciary.