Nepal’s Chief Justice launches a 21-point anti-corruption push to restore trust in the courts

Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma has issued a sweeping 21-point directive to chief judges of High Courts and District Courts across Nepal, placing anti-corruption reform and judicial discipline at the center of his agenda. The message is clear: the courts must earn public trust through honesty, accountability, and swift, impartial justice.

The directive comes as Sharma, Nepal’s 33rd Chief Justice, continues to shape his early tenure with a reform-first approach. He has already been associated with broader judicial modernization pledges, including commitments to reduce delays and improve the efficiency of the Supreme Court and wider court system.

What the directive emphasizes

At the heart of the new instruction is a strict zero-tolerance stance against corruption, irregularities, and any conduct that could weaken confidence in the judiciary. Sharma urged judges to carry out their responsibilities with integrity and diligence, reflecting a broader effort to strengthen the credibility of Nepal’s legal system.

The directive also underscores the importance of delivering justice that is not only fair, but also timely. In practical terms, that means judges are being pressed to avoid delays, maintain procedural discipline, and ensure that citizens can see the courts as a reliable institution rather than a slow or compromised one.

Why it matters

Judicial trust is one of the most important pillars of any democracy, and anti-corruption messaging from the top of the court system can carry real institutional weight. By directing judges at multiple court levels to follow a stricter ethical standard, Sharma is signaling that reform is not meant to stay at the Supreme Court level alone.

His approach also reflects the pressure facing courts in Nepal to improve efficiency and public confidence at the same time. A strong anti-corruption stance may help reset expectations inside the judiciary, especially if it is paired with measurable action on case backlogs and service delivery.

A reform-minded start for Nepal’s top judge

Sharma’s early moves suggest that he intends to be remembered not just as a symbolic head of the judiciary, but as a reform driver. Before and around his appointment, he had already been linked to action plans focused on legal reform and reducing long-pending cases, reinforcing the image of a chief justice intent on changing how the system works.

For Nepal’s courts, the new 21-point directive is more than an internal memo. It is a public statement that the judiciary expects higher standards from itself, and that restoring trust depends on visible discipline from the top down.