Kathmandu: The suspended chief justice Choldendra Shumsher Rana is retiring today.
With the announcement by Supreme Court Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana to return to the Supreme Court and with Nepal Bar Association raising fresh protests against Rana to prevent him from entering the court a few days before his retirement, tussles between the bar and bench were feared in Kathmandu.
Rana was suspended nearly for 10 months over the allegations of abuse of power. Lawmakers of parliament registered an impeachment motion against him to remove him from power. There were also allegations that Rana was put in house arrest. Which particular events led to this situation? Nepal Live Today maps out the chronology of the judiciary debacle.
Jan 2, 2019: Cholendra Shumsher Rana was appointed the Chief Justice
June 23. 2020: Supreme Court gave a decision to shorten the prison sentence handed to Ranjan Koirala, a former deputy inspector general of the Armed Police Police Force
July 12, 2021: The Rana-led Constitutional Bench ordered appointment of Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister
October 9, 2021: Rana was accused of seeking appointment of Gajendra Hamal as a minister in the cabinet.
October 10,2021: After controversies, Hamal resigned from the post of minister
October 25, 2021: Justices and bar association members staged protests against Rana accusing him of various charges including corruption.
Feb 13, 2022: 98 lawmakers filed impeachment motion against Chief Justice Rana
Feb 13, 2022: Rana is suspended from the post of chief justice
March 6, 2022: Impeachment Recommendation Committee formed by parliament to study allegations against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana
August, 2022: The Committee summons Rana to answer the questions. Rana refuses
September 2022: Rana refutes allegations against him
September 17, 2022: Impeachment Recommendation Committee writes to the Speaker of House of Representatives submitting the report of the Committee on impeachment investigations.
September, 2022: Rana prepares to go to the Supreme Court, government is accused of putting him in house arrest
November 20: General elections held
December 5, 2022: Rana writes to Parliament Secretariat
December 6: Parliament Secretariat answers that the impeachment motion has become ineffective
December 7, 2022: Rana announces to return to the Supreme Court saying that Parliament Secretariat has rendered the impeachment motion ineffective
December 7, 2022: Nepal Bar Association raises protests to prevent CJ Rana from entering the Supreme Court
December 9, 2022: The Supreme Court issued an interim order not to implement the decision of the Parliament Secretariat to invalidate the impeachment motion filed against Rana
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