A team of former Supreme Court justices and attorney generals on Monday demanded a high-powered commission to suggest ways to reform the judiciary. Former justice Pawan Kumar Ojha leads the campaign.

“In recent years, issues relating to transformation have been key public concern. There are complaints about the judiciary,” a statement issued by Ojha reads, suggesting that some of the issues need immediate attention. “There is the need to form a high-powered commission to study and suggest ways for short-term and long-term reforms in the sector,” he stated.

Senior Advocate Ram Prasad Shrestha, Former attorney general Mukti Pradhan, Senior Advocates Krishna Prasad Bhandari, Shree Hari Aryal, Biswokant Mainali, Laxmi Bahadur Nirala, Hari Prasad Upreti, Narendra Raj Pathak, Borna Bahadur Karki, Chandeshwor Shrestha, Rabi Narayan Khanal, Lalit Basnet, Gopal Siwakoti Chintan, Prakash Bahadur KC, Ganga Prakash Pokhrel and Nani Babu Dahal have signed the statement.

They complained that there were direct and indirect attacks on efforts to establish a free, fair and capable judiciary. “Since 1990, both the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court have got into controversies. Power-sharing between the ruling and opposition parties in the posts on these bodies has emerged as a major problem,” the statement read.

They said that fundamental standards and merits of appointment such as integrity, impartiality and academic qualification were often flouted. They charged that political inclination and monetary aspects had been dominant in the appointment of justices.

“As a result, people are losing their faith in the performance of judges. This situation should end,” they demanded.