HoR should intitiate CJ’s impeachment: NBA prez Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, June 27 - Nepal Bar Association (NBA) President Biswa Kant Mainali on Sunday sought initiative from the interim legislature to proceed with impeachment against Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel on the charge of flouting the code of conduct. "As it is a matter (impeachment) in the domain of the parliament, the parliament should proceed with the process of impeachment after investigating evidences," Mainali said. Speaking at a talk program at Reporters' Club, Mainali, referring to national and international code of conduct of judges, added that no judge should meet parties to subjudice cases at an individual level. "And if s/he meets, s/he must be punished on the basis of the code of conduct." Mainali's remarks were in response to a news report on breach of code of conduct for judges by the Chief Justice, published last Friday. The CJ had met RPP (Nepal) Chairman Rabindra Nath Sharma, former Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka and former police officer Kumar Koirala, whose cases were pending in the courts at the time of meeting at his official residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, in violation of national and international code of conduct for judges. Similarly, lawyer-cum-parliamentarian Harihar Dahal sought clarification from the Chief Justice regarding the latter's breach of the code of conduct. "In a democracy, questions are raised but they should also be responded to. The CJ must respond to the news report. Even NBA should probe the code of conduct violation," Dahal said. In the meantime, political leaders have said they will raise the code violation issue in parliament, which convenes on July 2. "It [code violation] is subject to impeachment. It is condemnable," Maoist leader Dinanath Sharma said. He further informed that political parties are holding discussion on impeaching the Chief Justice. Similarly, CPN-UML leader Pradip Gyawali said the CJ cannot remain silent in this regard. "Acquittals one after another from corruption charges by the Special Court has drawn the attention of our party. And the verdicts have defamed loktantra." Posted on: 2007-06-26 20:56:29 (Server Time) http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=114041