Kathmandu: Nepal is one step ahead of India when it comes to women’s emancipation. The Himalayan nation will have an alumnus of India’s Banaras Hindu University as its first woman chief justice on April 13.
A meeting of the Judicial Council on March 14 recommended Sushila Karki, the seniormost judge in Nepal’s Supreme Court, as the next chief justice.
The Judicial Council decided to forward her name to the Constitutional Council headed by the prime minister which is responsible for approving the head of the judiciary.
Nepal’s record in women’s empowerment was commended even by India’s Chief Justice T S Thakar.
Addressing a national seminar and workshop in New Delhi on March 10, the head of the Indian judiciary said Nepal is a step ahead of India in appointing a woman as its chief justice. The country already has had woman as president and speaker.
Nepal’s constitution came into effect only September 15, 2015 whereas India became a republic 66 years ago, Justice Thakar noted at the seminar organized by Citizen’s Rights Trust.
The new Nepal chief justice will take charge once President Bidhya Devi Bhandari clears her nomination.
She is expected to take charge after April 13 when incumbent Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha retires.
The social media has hailed Karki’s recommendation.
She is known to be a fearless judge with zero tolerance for corruption.
She studied master’s course in political science at Banaras Hindu University.
As a Supreme Court judge Karki has given verdicts to cases involving incumbent and former ministers and senior politicians.
Karki was born on June 7, 1952, in Shankarpur village of Biratnagar, Morang District.
She completed her a Bachelor in Law degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She was appointed a permanent justice at the Supreme Court of Nepal in 2010.
Karki is married to Durga Prasad Subedi and has a son, Prasant Subedi. She lives with her family in Dhapasi, Kathmandu, capital of Nepal.