Lawmakers Demand Asset Investigation for Judges and Lawyers
News Summary
Reviewed editorially.
- During a meeting of the House of Representatives’ Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, lawmakers proposed investigating the assets of judges and legal professionals.
- Member of Parliament Yagya Mani Nyaupane of the Rastriya Swatantra Party demanded that judges’ asset declarations be published annually on the Supreme Court’s website.
- Another MP, Ram Binod Yadav, urged for regulating lawyers’ service fees and their asset investigations as well.
May 24, Kathmandu – Members of the House of Representatives have proposed conducting asset investigations for judges and legal practitioners (lawyers).
As demands for asset investigations of public political officials grow, MPs have put forward a similar proposal to include judges and lawyers.
“In India, the details of judges’ assets are publicly available on a government website, and we can still view those records today,” said Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Yagya Mani Nyaupane. “However, in Nepal, judges’ asset information remains confidential due to existing regulations, hindering transparency.”
He expressed these views during the House of Representatives’ Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee meeting held on Monday. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Sobita Gautam, was also present at the meeting.
Addressing Minister Gautam, MP Nyaupane emphasized that the current law would not lead to the cleansing or strengthening of the judiciary and called for necessary reforms.
“There should be a provision for judges’ asset declarations to be publicly disclosed annually, particularly on the Supreme Court’s website,” he proposed. “Regarding sitting judges, the committee formed under the Judges Council Act should also move forward with asset investigations.”
MP Nyaupane suggested these measures to Minister Gautam.
Another MP from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Ram Binod Yadav, also supported the calls for public disclosure and investigation of judges’ assets.
Furthermore, he stressed the need to regulate legal practitioners’ service fees and conduct investigations into their assets.
“Not only judges, but lawyers’ service fees must be clearly defined—how much fee is charged for which case?” Yadav questioned. “There should be clear laws governing the fees lawyers charge and their professional conduct.”
He noted that the absence of legal provisions regulating fees causes difficulties for clients, underscoring the need for a fee-setting mechanism.
Additionally, he demanded bringing lawyers under the scope of asset investigation as well, stating, “Lawyers must also be legally bound; their assets should be subject to scrutiny. I believe we should consult experts to adopt an appropriate approach on this matter.”