Law Day today: Chief Justice's message

Kathmandu - Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR has wished that may the Law Day, 2020, today, provide the positive thinking, motivation and capacity to all to contribute from their respective places for ensuring equality, justice and the rule of law. Issuing a message of best wishes on the occasion, the Chief Justice said the COVID-19 has affected the judiciary also and that the courts in countries affected by this pandemic, including Nepal, have been managing justice administration and service delivery in a limited manner.

He urged one and all to take the inconveniences in getting justice due to this situation as something created by the adverse circumstances. "This biggest pandemic of the present millennium itself having multi-dimensional impact globally and which is also the matter of concern of the entire human race has prompted the need for a separate jurisprudence related to pandemic," the Chief Justice said. He urged the people associated with the judiciary and law sector as well as all those concerned to mark the Law Day this year by exchanging greetings and best wishes in the present situation as no formal programme could be organised due to the risk of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Law Day is celebrated on Baisakh 26 every year in commemoration of the day on which the Nepal Supreme Court Act, 2008BS came into force on Baisakh 26, 2009 BS. In the message, the Chief Justice has recalled the contribution of all the people who played a role in developing the roadmap towards an independent judiciary, rule of law and initiation of modern judiciary which was chalked out at that time to its present state.

He has also paid tributes to these personalities. "The judiciary has been playing an important role for maintenance of the rule of law and for the protection of rights and interest of the citizens by keeping norms and values of an independent judiciary intact even during very difficult and harshest of situations in judiciary's history," Chief Justice JBR stated. In his capacity as the leader of the judiciary, the Chief Justice has also expressed the judiciary's commitment on this occasion to always remain active to ensuring an independent, impartial and capable judiciary and the rule of law as guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal.

The Chief Justice also expressed the confidence that this special day would infuse added energy and encouragement in all the stakeholders towards establishing and evolution of a judicial system that is easily accessible and based on public trust, while remaining committed to the good governance, development, prosperity and social justice as envisaged by the constitution, and to the basic structure of the constitution comprising democratic governance system, civic freedom, fundamental rights, full press freedom, an autonomous, impartial and efficient judiciary and supremacy of law, among others.