Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang has said unnecessary positions in the judiciary will be scrapped.

Addressing a function organised to mark the fifth anniversary of the Natural Resource Conflict Transfor-mation Centre-Nepal, Tamang said the government was reviewing judges’ posts for scrapping if found unnecessary. The major focus of the government would be on monitoring whether the existing human resource was properly utilised.

Asked about the delay in appointing the chief justice, the minister said the government was preparing to nominate the candidate to head the judiciary. “The new chief justice will be nominated before the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee is formed,” he said. The committee would be formed shortly as the House of Representatives has passed its regulations.

He, however, added that there would be no problems in the apex court’s regular business even under the leadership of the acting chief justice. According to the constitution, the Supreme Court can have a maximum of 20 judges. Currently two positions of justices are lying vacant at the top court.

Citing Sunday’s Cabinet decision to trim the numbers of additional inspector generals of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force, Tamang said all the sectors would see staff cuts if there are unnecessary posts.

On mediation, the minister said minor disputes should be resolved at the local level. “Only complex issues will be taken to court.”