Aug 03, Kathmandu - The Nepal Judicial Service is set to see a competitive selection process for four candidates vying for the positions of Secretary of the Judicial Council and Registrar of the Supreme Court.

The Nepal Judicial Service Commission is preparing to recommend appointments for both roles. The position of Secretary of the Judicial Council has been vacant since Justice Gitenrrababu Thapaliya was appointed as a High Court judge last Baisakh. Similarly, following the appointment of Chief Registrar Man Bahadur Karki as a Chief Election Commissioner, the Registrar position has been vacant since this Shrawan.

Among the two Registrar positions in the Supreme Court, one remains vacant. Four senior officials from the judicial service are competing for this role. Although there are no legal restrictions on recommending candidates from the legal fraternity or the government law group, this time, the focus is on internal judicial service promotions.

According to sources, candidates under consideration include Director General Gajendra Bahadur Singh of the Decision Implementation Directorate, Supreme Court Registrar Thakurendra Kattel, acting Secretary of the Judicial Council Ram Prasad Bhattarai, and Supreme Court Registrar Babarama Dahal. Notably, all four were promoted to Registrar on the same day, Jestha 19, 2074 BS.

The commission is reportedly preparing to submit its recommendation soon. Legally, the Judicial Service Commission, chaired by the Chief Justice and comprising the Law and Justice Minister, the most senior Supreme Court Justice, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the Attorney General, will appoint the Secretary of the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court Registrar based on the commission's advice.

The commission indicated that if a meeting can be scheduled this week, recommendations might be finalized then; otherwise, a meeting will be held next week. The final decision will be based on performance evaluations and other criteria, with any of the four candidates potentially selected.