KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict today (Wednesday) on the writ petition filed against the appointment of 52 officials in various constitutional bodies, including the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench had scheduled the verdict for today after completing the final hearing on May 15, more than four and a half years after the case was first filed.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Manoj Kumar Sharma, Kumar Chudal, and Nahakul Subedi had been continuously hearing the case since February 12, keeping it under review.

The bench had instructed the lawyers and legal practitioners involved in the case to submit their written arguments by May 30.

The appointments in question were made in December 2020 and May 2021 by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government through an ordinance, filling 52 positions of officials and members in various constitutional bodies.

Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi, Advocate Om Prakash Aryal, and others had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, claiming the appointment process was unconstitutional.

At the time, the Constitutional Council led by PM Oli held a meeting in the absence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota and opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Only PM Oli, Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, and National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina were present at the meeting.