Judicial Council transfers 50 High Court and 157 district judges in one sitting
The 16 July decision, taken on the last day of the fiscal year, also moved the heads of the Special Court, the Labour Court and the Foreign Employment Tribunal.
In this article
Nepal’s Judicial Council transferred 50 High Court judges and 157 district court judges on 16 July 2026 (32 Asar 2083 BS). The Council, the constitutional body chaired by the Chief Justice that handles the appointment, transfer and discipline of judges, met under Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma on the day before the 2083/84 fiscal year began.
According to Kantipur, it was the first time the Council had transferred High Court judges in such numbers at once. At district level, the transfers covered judges who had completed two years at the same court. A full list of the judges moved has not been published in the media, and Nyayapalika could not find the Council’s decision online.
Changes at specialised courts and tribunals
The transfers reached the heads of several specialised courts and tribunals. Kantipur reported the following moves:
- Sudarshan Dev Bhatta, chair of the Special Court (which hears corruption and related cases), to the High Court at Surkhet. His substantive post was at the High Court in Janakpur, and he had been serving at the Special Court on deputation.
- Janak Pandey, chair of the Labour Court, to the Hetauda bench of the High Court at Patan.
- Shanta Sedhai Sapkota, chair of the Foreign Employment Tribunal, to the High Court at Dipayal.
- Special Court members Narayan Prasad Paudel, to the Rajbiraj bench of the High Court at Janakpur, and Umesh Koirala, to the High Court at Patan.
Advice to the government on vacancies
For the posts left vacant, the Council gave its advice to the government. It advised that Vasudev Acharya, a judge of the High Court at Tulsipur, be named chair of the Special Court and that Dipendra Adhikari be named chair of the Labour Court. For the Revenue Tribunal it put forward Dhruba Raj Nanda, Anju Upreti Dhakal and Dipendra Bahadur Bam.
This is advice only. The government makes the appointments to these posts.
What the law says
Article 153 of the Constitution of Nepal sets up the Judicial Council under the Chief Justice and gives it the job of making recommendations or giving advice on the appointment, transfer, disciplinary action and dismissal of judges. The Council itself transfers High Court and district court judges.
What it means for litigants
Transfers on this scale can hold up hearings that have already been scheduled. Where the judge hearing a case has moved, the parties should check with the court registry for the next hearing date.
The decision dates from July. It is reported here as background to the other judicial transfers made this year.
Sources
An official copy of the Judicial Council decision could not be found online. This report relies on Kantipur’s reporting.
Other reporting
- Judicial Council transfers 50 High Court judges (in Nepali) — Kantipur, 16 Jul 2026
- Judicial Council transfers 157 district judges (in Nepali) — Kantipur, 16 Jul 2026
- Judicial Council transfers 157 district judges — Kantipur (English), 16 Jul 2026
