President Ramchandra Paudel on Sunday appointed Prakash Man Singh Raut as the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

The President made the appointment in accordance with Article 129 (2) of the constitution, based on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, Basanta Prasad Panthi, assistant spokesperson at the Office of President said in a statement.

President Paudel will administer an oath of office of secrecy to Raut later today.

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee on Wednesday endorsed Raut for the position of 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.

Outgoing Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha retired on Saturday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.