Nepal Bar objects to restriction on entry to Singha Durbar

Kathmandu — The Nepal Bar Association has objected to restrictions on lawyers’ entry into Singha Durbar.

The Nepal Bar Association has expressed concern over obstacles placed on legal practitioners entering the Singha Durbar premises.

In a statement, General Secretary and senior advocate Kedar Prasad Koirala objected to the curtailment of the long-standing provision that allowed lawyers to enter the complex using their professional ID cards.

Koirala has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Balen Shah, urging the removal of the tightened entry rules. Lawyers who need to access institutions such as the Administrative Court and various government offices inside Singha Durbar for hearings and professional duties have reportedly been stopped at the gates.

In a letter addressed by the Bar, it stated that lawyers’ entry into Singha Durbar, including the Administrative Court, has been obstructed for the past few days. The association noted that despite repeatedly informing concerned authorities verbally, no action was taken, prompting them to seek the Prime Minister’s intervention.

The Nepal Bar emphasized that lawyers affiliated with its 90 units across the country have constitutional and legal responsibilities to represent clients in the Supreme Court, High Courts, District Courts, special courts, and various tribunals.

The association has strongly urged the government to restore the prevailing practice allowing lawyers to enter Singha Durbar upon showing their identification cards.