KATHMANDU, SEP 08 - Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang has said that it is necessary to seek public opinion on the contempt of court bill before it is passed by the Legislature-Parliament. The bill has been criticised by the civil society for being draconian so as to stifle the press freedom and the freedom expression.
Speaking at a programme regarding the bill held at the Parliament Secretariat on Monday, Nembang underscored the need to seek public opinion on the bill regarding the contempt of court.
The speaker further underscored the need of revising the bill in the context of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal Bar Association (NBA) taking stance against the passage of the bill in its present form.
Minister for Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs, Narahari Acharya, argued that the bill was warranted not only to check the contempt of court but also to keep a tab on the personal discretion of the judges. He added that this kind of laws were also prevalent in India and other countries.
The Law Minister stated that there still existed room for further discussion on the bill and a system would be put in place for revising the bill after collecting public opinion.
Nepal Bar Association Chairman Hari Krishna Karki said that the bill gives unlimited power to the courts to the extent that there would be the possibility of restricting civil rights and press freedom. NBA will provide support in revising the bill, he said.
FNJ President Mahendra Bista warned against forcing any acts and laws upon the people, saying if that was done then there were higher chances of the laws being misused and democracy falling into jeopardy. He added that the dignity of the courts would also be enhanced if attempts are made to free them from criticism.
Posted on: 2014-09-08 06:27
