In Nepal, a new Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has been formed today to hear a bunch of petitions against the May 22 dissolution of the House of Representatives after differences among justices over its composition delayed the crucial hearing. The bench was formed by Nepal’s Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana on the basis of the seniority and expertise of the Supreme Court Justices.

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives on May 22 for the second time in five months and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19 on the advice of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, heading a minority government.

A Constitutional Bench of Nepal’s Supreme Court hearing petitions against the dissolution of the House of Representatives has refused to entertain any further arguments on its composition, saying the issues raised by the petitioners are of grave public concern and require to be sorted out.

Chief Justice Cholendra Shumser Rana constituted the bench to hear the cases on May 28. But the hearing was postponed after questions were asked about the presence of Justices Tej Bahadur KC and Bam Kumar Shrestha on the bench. Chief Justice Rana on Sunday reconstituted the bench incorporating justices based on their seniority. The new bench includes Justices Deepak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Ishwar Khatiwada and Ananda Mohan Bhattarai as members.

Image Source: Nepal State Department