The Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal on Sunday (May 21) issued an order in the name of Rajdhani Daily – a national broadsheet - to provide with compensation to and reinstate journalist Ram Prasad Dahal in the work. The Legal Desk of freedom1 Forum had provided litigation support to journalist Ram Prasad Dahal in the case. A joint bench of justice duo, Balaram KC and Bharat Raj Uprety of the Supreme Court issued this verdict stating that the newspaper management illegally terminated him from his work. The Rajdhani Management had fired journalist Dahal from his work on March 2, 2005 )Falgun 19, 2061 BS) citing reduction of human resource. freedom1 Forum’s Legal Officer and Advocate Rishi Ram Ghimire pleaded the case. Victim journalist Dahal had registered a case in the labour court demanding compensation and reinstatement of his job saying that he was sacked in an illegal manner. The labour court had issued verdict terming the demand of journalist Dahal genuine. Proprietor of Utsarga Publisher brining out Rajdhani Daily, Mahendra Sherchan filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the decision of the labour court. Upholding the decision of the labour court, the SC gave verdict to provide compensation and reinstate journalist Dahal in the job. ‘The verdict has upheld the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom1 of press defending professional security of journalist’, said freedom1 Forum Chairperson Taranath Dahal, adding the decision will boost up confidence among journalists to fight for their rights through legal measures.
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
