Did the Karki Commission’s Report Tarnish the Judiciary’s Image?
The report of the Karki Commission 2082, formed to investigate the events of Bhadra 23 and 24, has not been officially published. However, some media outlets, including OnlineKhabar, have circulated the report, leading the umbrella organization of legal professionals, the Nepal Bar Association, along with several distinguished lawyers, to strongly criticize the commission’s comments regarding the judiciary. They contend that the judiciary was once as pure as milk, so flawless that no one would dare to point a finger at it; this encompassed judges, lawyers, and all related staff. They are upset that the Karki Commission’s report has tarnished this very image and destroyed the judiciary’s reputation.
The commission was tasked with thoroughly investigating the physical and human damages caused during the protests held on Bhadra 23 and 24 across Kathmandu and other parts of the country. It was to identify the causes of these incidents, prepare a report with recommendations, and suggest necessary measures to prevent such events from recurring. Therefore, the commission needed to examine why numerous courts, including the Supreme Court, were destroyed; why the judiciary, especially courts, suffered damage in 23 courts due to the fury of the General Strike (Janajati Andolan) movement.
During the suppression of the Janajati movement, the then government led by both the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and the Nepali Congress was responsible, making an investigation into their leadership necessary. Amid this inquiry, various distortions, discrepancies, and irregularities observed within the judiciary were documented in the report, which held the then leadership accountable. It is therefore understandable that stakeholders within the judiciary expressed great indignation. Notably, the group of lawyers closely affiliated with these parties, representing their interests and working for their benefit, voiced serious objections to the report’s findings.