Sobita Gautam Appointed Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in Balen Shah's Cabinet

Kathmandu. Sobita Gautam has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the government formed under the leadership of Balendra (Balen) Shah. Gautam, who entered politics from a legal practice (advocate) background, was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu Constituency No. 2 in the 2079 elections.

Following the recent 'Genji' agitation on Bhadra 23 and 24, Gautam, who was elected from Chitwan Constituency No. 3 representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the 2082 House of Representatives election, has been appointed as the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in Balen's government.

Gautam has the opportunity to make history by restructuring the judiciary. The Supreme Court's repeatedly formed committees have already pointed out corruption, distortions, and irregularities in the judiciary. However, the reports of those committees have not been implemented.

On the other hand, the issue of appointing judges always becomes contentious. Due to disputes among political parties over which party should be represented by whom in the appointment of judges, judicial posts in the Supreme Court have remained vacant for a long time.

A narrative is being built that the credibility of the judiciary is eroding because the amendment of the Judicial Council Act and the appointment of judges are based on political quotas. Gautam must provide very prudent leadership to overcome this.

How Gautam, who understands the political quota in judicial appointments and its impact that has been lingering in cases for years, will move forward will be shown by her work in the coming days. Since irregularities in the judiciary originate right from the appointment of judges, the most competent among the qualified individuals must be appointed in an objective and transparent manner.

The Minister of Law can bring radical changes to judicial appointments. The complaint that corruption is rampant in the judiciary under the protection of power centers and responsible officials is not just a complaint; the Supreme Court's own reports have acknowledged it.

Currently, members appointed by political parties are on the Judicial Council. In such a situation, how the reform work will proceed according to the roadmap put forward by the Minister of Law will also be a matter of public interest. It has long been discussed that corruption in the courts has increased due to middlemen. A separate law will need to be introduced to control this. Scientific methods must be implemented for the investigation of criminal cases, lawyers do not provide receipts to clients for the fees they receive, extra money is collected under the pretext of settling matters with judges and departments, and the distortion has increased because of the mindset that the case one has taken must be won at all costs.

• Who is Gautam?

Sobita Gautam, born in Jamune, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality, Dolakha, has a background as a legal practitioner. She holds a bachelor's degree in Development Studies from Kathmandu University.

Furthermore, she is pursuing an LLM in International Law, having completed a BA LLB from National Law College under Tribhuvan University. Before formally entering politics, she was active in spreading health awareness and hosted a health-related program on Nepal Television for over four years, working to spread awareness about health policies and public health. She is known as a leader who holds clear views on issues of youth participation, good governance, transparency, and citizen rights.

In her first term as a Member of Parliament, she was elected to the Health Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), where she advocated for global health equity and inclusive policies.

Gautam is admired by many on social media for her speeches and logical ability.

As the Minister of Law, she is now expected to work in the areas of legislative reform, institutional accountability, and citizen empowerment.