FORMER NATIONAL CRICKET TEAM CAPTAIN SHAHI DEAD Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: Former captain of national cricket team Ganesh Shahi ded Friday of liver disease. He was 40. Shahu was a member of the national team from 1996 to 2001. nnnn MMC PLAYS HIMALAYAN SHERPA CLUB IN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: Manang Marshyangdgi Club (MMC) plays Himalayan Sherpa Club in the Martyrs Memorial A Division Football league Championship at Dashrath Rangashala Saturday. Three Star and Jawalakhel meet in another match Saturday. Nnnn JUDGES TO BE APPOINTED SOON Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: After failing to retain five ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court, the Judicial Council (JC) has now been mulling over to fill a large numbers of vacancies in the appellate and district courts in the country, The Himalayan Times reports.. Khem Narayan Dhungana, member JC confirmed this to The Himalayan Times today. “We are now concentrating to fill vacancies in appellate and district courts.” According to him, the JC is planning to appoint judges for the lower courts by completing all the necessary process after January 18. A total of 32 positions of appellate court judges and 42 positions of district court judges’ are laying vacant since a long time but Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi headed judges appointing body could not appoint a single judge in the last two years. The JC has however, already received the applications of more than 800 candidates for the vacant positions. “We hope to appoint them in appeal and district courts within a month,” Dhungana said, adding, “On January 18, we will mark JC anniversary, and then we will start the judges appointment process in full swing.” Since there is no hurdle in the appointment of judges to appeal and district courts like parliamentary hearing for the judges in Supreme Court, the judges appointing body is confident to move forward the process. The JC has also scheduled to transfer the judges only after the appointment. Some appellate courts have been facing acute shortage of judges. Surkhet Appellate Court is run by judge Ratna Kumar Bagchand. Dipayal, Baglung and Mahendranagar appellate courts have been run by two judges. At least three judges are required for every appellate court to smoothly provide justice in appellate courts. “If one among the two judges takes leave or becomes ill, taking decision will be difficult,” Dipak Raj Joshi, Chief Judge, Appellate Court Dipayal told this daily over telephone. According to him, this was the first time that the appellate courts have been facing shortage. “Such crunch creates delay in justice,” Joshi added. Senior advocate Ram Prasad Shrestha, who is also the Chairman of Progressive and Professional Lawyers Association (PPLA), blamed the leadership of the JC for the crisis. According to him, it is a grave matter and raises serious question over the management of judges’ appointing body. Some courts even do not have sufficient judges to manage huge work load, but there are enough judges in urban courts even when there is no sufficient work load. “The JC is not able to manage the available judges’ to avert the crisis,” he added. Nnnn