The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench has begun hearings on petitions filed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives.
The hearing started with arguments from advocate Prem Raj Silwal on Monday. The Constitutional Bench, formed to hear the case, includes Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phuyal, and Manoj Kumar Sharma.
President Ram Chandra Paudel dissolved the House on September 12 (27 Bhadra) based on a recommendation from the interim government. Several writ petitions were filed at the Supreme Court, arguing that the decision was unconstitutional.
The interim government, led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, was formed after the resignation of then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Oli stepped down following the “Gen Z Movement” protests on September 8 and 9 (23–24 Bhadra), which demanded political accountability. After his resignation, parliament failed to form a new government, leading to the establishment of the interim government that later recommended the dissolution.
Petitioners have claimed that both the formation of the interim government and the subsequent dissolution of parliament violate constitutional provisions.
The court has allotted five minutes to each lawyer for their arguments. Senior advocate Tikaram Bhattarai and others are representing the petitioners and have started presenting their case.
Multiple individuals, including advocates Yuvraj Paudel, Kirtinath Sharma Paudel, Ayush Badal, Makbul Miya, Khadk Bahadur Shah, Dambar Prasad Shivakoti, Dal Bahadur Dhami, Prakash Bhujel, and Bipin Dhakal, have filed petitions challenging the dissolution. Additional writs were filed by advocates Ayush Bhandari, Abhash Pokharel, Om Prakash Jung Shah, Bimal Pokharel, Dr Punya Prasad Khatri, and Sher Bahadur Rokaya.
The hearing marks the beginning of a potentially decisive legal battle over whether the president’s move and the interim government’s recommendation align with Nepal’s constitutional framework.
