The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has unanimously endorsed Prakash Man Singh Raut for the position of Chief Justice. The committee’s meeting held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday agreed upon the name of the proposed Chief Justice.

Raut, the senior-most justice of the Supreme Court, was recommended for the role by the Constitutional Council on September 16. He was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice on August 1, 2016. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University.

According to the Supreme Court’s records, Raut served as an advocate and senior advocate from 1983 to 2016, specialising in civil, criminal, and constitutional cases. In 2006, he was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

President Ramchandra Paudel will now appoint him as head of the judiciary. Upon appointment, Raut will lead the Supreme Court for the next 18 months.

The incumbent Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha is set to retire on October 5 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.

The Constitutional Council, headed by the prime minister, recommends candidates for chiefs of constitutional bodies and the judiciary, with the President making the final appointment following parliamentary approval.

Meanwhile, the hearing committee approved Chitralekha Yadav as Nepal’s Ambassador to Australia. The committee's meeting on Wednesday officially confirmed Yadav's name to the diplomatic post.

According to the committee’s secretariat, Yadav was unanimously approved by the members to represent Nepal in Australia.

Following her approval, Yadav’s official appointment as ambassador now awaits an appointment from President Paudel.

A Cabinet meeting on September 9 recommended Nepali Congress leader and former Deputy Speaker Yadav as the Nepali ambassador to Australia.