Preliminary Hearing Begins in Supreme Court on Writ Petitions Against Attorney General Appointment

A preliminary hearing has commenced in the Supreme Court regarding three separate writ petitions challenging the appointment of the Attorney General on the grounds of insufficient qualifications. The petitions were filed by eight and five advocates respectively before a bench headed by Justice Kumar Regmi. The petitions demand the removal of Attorney General Dr. Narayandatt Kandel, citing his failure to meet the mandatory continuous 15 years of legal practice experience required for the post. Kathmandu, 24 April.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing three distinct writ petitions simultaneously, all asserting that the appointment of the Attorney General did not meet the required qualifications. The bench led by Justice Kumar Regmi is overseeing the hearing. The petitions were filed separately by eight advocates including Madhav Basnet and Shivraj Baral, and five advocates including Deepkaraj Joshi. Initially, the Supreme Court administration had refused to register these petitions. However, a single-judge bench later overturned that decision and ordered the petitions to be registered.

According to Supreme Court regulations, the Attorney General—considered equivalent in rank to a Supreme Court justice—must have continuously practiced law for 15 years. Dr. Narayandatt Kandel, who has spent a long time practicing law in the United Kingdom, reportedly does not fulfill this continuous 15-year practice criterion. Hence, the writ petitions seek his removal from the position.