The Supreme Court has issued a show cause notice in response to the writ petition filed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota against the appointments made recently at various constitutional commissions.

A single bench of Justice Prakash Kumar Dhungana on Sunday issued the notice in the name of defendants—the President, the prime minister, Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, the office of the Constitutional Council, and chairman of the National Assembly.

The court has asked the defendants to submit their written response within 15 days, said Devendra Dhakal, information officer at the Supreme Court.

Senior Advocate Krishna Prasad Bhandari and Senior Advocate Raman Shrestha among others defended Speaker Sapkota and demanded that those appointed to constitutional commissions should not be allowed to work.

Speaker Sapkota had moved the Supreme Court last Friday demanding a writ against the appointments claiming that they were made in violation of the constitutional provisions.

The Constitutional Council had recommended 38 people on December 15 for appointment to various commissions. Of them, two had refused their nominations while four were unqualified for the post.

Chief Justice Rana administered the oath to 32 appointees at the President's Office on Wednesday.

The case has been put on a priority list for hearing, according to Dhakal, the information officer. The bench, however, refused to issue an interim order immediately to bar the new appointees from discharging their duties.