The Supreme Court of Nepal filed a contempt of court case against the President of Nepal Bar Association, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, on September 30, 2024. The case was filed for Ghimire’s critical statement at a program on September 27. President Ghimire said that the nomination of candidates for Supreme Court Justices were based on financial dealings. He also said that he was ready to face consequences for his statement. Thereafter, the full bench led by Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha decided to file the case at the Supreme Court. To this, Freedom Forum’s Executive Chief Taranath Dahal said, “This is a severe violation of freedom of expression. The state requires a clear law regarding the contempt of court. In absence of law, such matter may lead to misuse of authority and create distrust in justice body.”
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.
