Bhaktapur, June 9: Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya has emphasised the need for the legal practitioners, who are an important segment of the society, to be active in providing accessible justice to the poor, innocent and oppressed people.

Inaugurating the 17th meeting and the annual general meeting of the Central Executive Council of the Nepal Bar Association here today, Mr Upadhyaya said that as the role of independent and impartial judiciary would be important in creating a democratic society, all the legal practitioners should remain impartial and honest.

Emphasising the need for the legal practitioners and judges working in the legal field to undertake self-evaluation and analysis to eliminate distortion and inconsistencies seen in the judicial sector, Chief Justice Upadhyaya noted that the people’s faith in judiciary would rise if the analysis of the courts could be presented to the people.

Attorney General Badri Bahadur Karki said that there was no alternative to democracy and the yardstick to assess the extent of democracy in the country was courts.

Chief Judge of the Appellate Court Patan Min Prasad Rayamajhi said that the need of the day was an efficient and honest bar.

Senior advocate and former president of Nepal Bar Association Mukunda Regmi emphasised the need for the legal practitioners to stay away from inappropriate activities and said that they should be disciplined, ethical, studious and shoulder the responsibility of administering justice.

Former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said that the constitution has vested tremendous powers to the courts and capable people were needed to exercise these powers.

Senior advocate Sarbagya Ratna Tuladhar, president of Nepal Bar Association Harihar Dahal, former president Radheshyam Adhikari and a host of other speakers emphasised the need for the legal practitioners to be honest and impartial.

President of Bhaktapur district Nepal Bar Association Sashi Chandra Mishra presided.