Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel has said that the current practice of conducting parliamentary hearing to appoint judges of Supreme Court (SC) is inappropriate.

“It is neither legally nor practically appropriate,” said CJ Poudel, talking to reporters at the airport as he returned home after completing a brief visit to China.

“But since the interim constitution has the provision (of parliamentary hearing), we have to follow it,” he added.

On Friday, the Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee (PSHC) confirmed the appointment of four permanent SC judges after conducting a hearing on them. This was the first time that judges recommended by Judicial Council were subjected to parliamentary hearing.

Various legal professionals have criticised the provision of parliamentary hearing of judges saying that it could undermine independence of judiciary and subject it to unnecessary legislative and executive domination.