Sushila Karki: From Former Chief Justice to Prime Minister

Chosen by the Gen-Z movement for leadership, Sushila Karki is a former Chief Justice of Nepal, widely known for her zero-tolerance stance against corruption during her tenure in the judiciary.

Judicial Background and Early Life

Karki served as Chief Justice from July 11, 2016 (2073 Asar 27) to June 7, 2017 (2074 Jestha 24). She was born on June 8, 1952 (2009 Jestha 25) in Shankhpur, Biratnagar, Morang. Her family has close ties with the late BP Koirala’s family, and her husband Durga Subedi is a democratic fighter.

Academically, she earned a BA from Mahendra Morang Campus in 1971 (2028 BS), an MA in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University in 1974 (2031 BS), and an LLB from Tribhuvan University in 1977 (2034 BS). She later taught at Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan, from 1985 to 1990 (2042–2046 BS).

Legal Career and Judicial Service

Karki began practicing law in 1978 (2035 BS) and even served as Bar Association President at the Biratnagar Appellate Court. She became a Senior Advocate in 2004 (2061 BS), a temporary Supreme Court Justice in 2008 (2065 BS), and a permanent Justice in 2010 (2067 BS).

In 2016, she was appointed Chief Justice. During her tenure, she delivered several landmark verdicts, including the historic ruling that removed Lokman Singh Karki from the position of Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). She also handed down significant corruption convictions, such as finding then-Information Minister Jaya Prakash Gupta guilty.

The Impeachment Challenge

On April 30, 2017 (2074 Baisakh 17), ruling coalition MPs from Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre filed an impeachment motion against Karki, signed by 249 lawmakers. She was immediately suspended, but on May 5, 2017 (2074 Baisakh 22), a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued an interim order, nullifying the impeachment and reinstating her.

A New Political Role

Admired for her impartiality, legal expertise, and strong stand against corruption, Karki emerged as the preferred choice of the younger generation. Her name was formally proposed at Army Headquarters on Wednesday evening, with further discussions continuing Thursday morning.

Having made historic contributions to Nepal’s judiciary, Sushila Karki is now set to lead the country’s executive branch, a move viewed as a crucial step toward political stability and consensus.