Kathmandu [India], July 24 – International rights organisations have raised concerns over alleged political interference in Nepal’s judiciary, urging the government to protect the independence of the Supreme Court and ensure transparent judicial appointments.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said recent government actions that could affect the composition of the Supreme Court pose a “serious concern” for judicial independence.
The groups criticised the government’s amendment to the Constitutional Council Act through an executive ordinance in May 2026, saying changes to the quorum and voting requirements of the council, which recommends appointments to key constitutional positions including the chief justice, should have been made through parliamentary legislation.
“The independence of the judiciary is a cornerstone of the rule of law and an essential safeguard for the protection of human rights,” said Ian Seiderman, senior legal and policy director at the ICJ.
The statement also raised concerns over the appointment of Manoj Kumar Sharma as chief justice, saying it departed from Nepal’s long-standing practice of appointing the senior-most serving justice. The Parliamentary Hearing Committee endorsed Sharma’s nomination despite complaints against the appointment, the groups said.
The rights organisations further claimed they had received reports that three senior Supreme Court justices, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi and Hari Phuyal faced political pressure to resign and threats of impeachment if they refused.
They said they were unaware of any publicly stated allegations against the judges that would meet the constitutional grounds for impeachment.
“Threatened use of impeachment against judges without clear constitutional justification risks creating the appearance that constitutional procedures are being used to influence the composition of the court and potentially the outcome of pending litigation,” the groups said.
The organisations warned that suspending senior judges through impeachment proceedings could affect the functioning of the Supreme Court particularly as it considers important constitutional cases challenging government decisions and executive actions.
Meenakshi Ganguly deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said judicial appointments and removals that appear vulnerable to political influence undermine public confidence in the justice system.
The groups called on Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government to refrain from pressuring judges to resign or initiating impeachment proceedings without clear constitutional grounds.
They also urged Nepal to review amendments to the Constitutional Council Act through an open parliamentary process and ensure judicial appointments are based on transparent, objective and merit-based procedures.
“Judicial reforms should build stronger and more independent institutions that enjoy public confidence not institutions that are more vulnerable to political pressure,” said Isabelle Lassee, acting regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International.
