‘CJ must give public clarification’ BY KIRAN CHAPAGAIN KATHMANDU, June 25 - Law Minister Narendra Bikram Nemwang on Sunday said that the Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel must publicly give clarification regarding his meeting with parties to sub judice cases at his official residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, at different times. "The meetings have raised moral questions for the Chief Justice. So he must clarify in this regard clearly," Nemwang said, talking to the post. "In fact, judges must not meet any parties to pending cases, at their residence." Nemwang was commenting on the Post news about the meeting between Chief Justice Paudel and defendants/plaintiffs at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Chief Justice. In violation of national and international code of conduct for judges, the Chief Justice received at his residence Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal) Rabindra Nath Sharma, former minister Khum Bahadur Khadka and former police officer Kumar Koirala while their cases were pending in court. Minister Nemwang, who is also the ex-officio member of the Judicial Council headed by Paudel, further said, "I will decide further steps after he gives his clarification publicly." In the meantime, advocate Nandu Raj Acharya filed an application in the parliament secretariat, urging the parliament to initiate impeachment of the Chief Justice on grounds of breaching the code of conduct. "The act of the CJ (meeting parties to sub judice cases) will erode citizens' faith in the judiciary, so such a person should not be allowed to remain in the post," the application reads. Cartoon contemptuous: CJ Meanwhile, Chief Justice Paudel on Sunday termed the cartoon published in the Saturday editions of the Post and Kantipur dailies as contemptuous. "As we were sitting for tea in the afternoon at his office, he (the CJ) picked up the papers and asked, 'Aren't these cartoons contemptuous?' " a Supreme Court justice quoted the Chief Justice as saying. The cartoon read thus: Uh-Uh,...uncomfortable... to give verdicts from this low chair. Have you got a 'brief-case'? ... for evaluation." Posted on: 2007-06-24 20:50:20 (Server Time) http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=113726