Next Door Nepal: Judiciary open to intimidation, pressure, says US

The US Human Rights Report 2016 released Friday said the judiciary in Nepal is vulnerable to political pressure and intimidation. The report said that although the law provides for an independent judiciary, courts remained vulnerable to political pressure, bribery and intimidation. The US report is the first by any international institution questioning independence and fairness of the courts in Nepal.

“The supreme court has the right to review the constitutionality of laws, but authorities did not consistently respect and implement court orders , including the SC decisions, particularly decisions relating to the conflict-era cases,” it said.

Reportedly, the appointment of judges with known affiliation to political parties and from NGO background collaborating with international donors has increasingly made the courts “activist” and assume “bias”.