KATHMANDU: Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla has been added to the Constitutional Bench that is scheduled to hear the case on dissolution of House of Representatives, today.
Justice Malla has been included in the bench after Supreme Court Justice Hari Krishna Karki recused himself from the case. Justice Karki left the bench after two petitioners — Senior Advocates Dinesh Tripathi and Shambhu Thapa — pointed out conflict of interest for Karki in the case.
Tripathi argued that since Karki was appointed attorney general by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in October 2015 when he was the prime minister for the first time, Karki should not be on the constitutional bench to hear the House dissolution case in which Oli is one of the defendants.
Hearing on the case is to continue today at the Supreme Court.
However, the matter is still under discussion whether the hearing will be carried out through the constitutional bench or a grand full bench. Thirteen petitioners had filed a writ against the dismantling of the Lower House. They demanded the formation of a grand full bench for which a petition has already been submitted.