KATHMANDU: Newly appointed Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma has issued a strict 21-point directive to High Court chief judges and judges aimed at reforming the judiciary’s image and accelerating justice delivery.

The directive sets an absolute deadline to eliminate all cases older than two years by the end of the current fiscal year, and brings all cases exceeding 18 months down to zero by mid-January 2027.

To achieve this, courts must strictly enforce the “Differential Case Management System.”

The directive also implements a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, court irregularities, and middlemen, mandating strict surveillance from court entry to final judgment execution.

To modernize the system, Chief Justice Sharma ordered the expansion of online arguments, video-conferencing for testimonies, and automated cause lists.

Furthermore, courts must set up toll-free numbers, WhatsApp, and Viber systems to handle public grievances, alongside displaying citizen charters in local languages.

Finally, the directive prioritizes victim-friendly justice and alternative dispute resolution.

It mandates swift and sensitive processing for cases involving women, children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, while setting a target to channel at least 50 percent of eligible civil and commercial disputes into mediation.

Chief judges are now required to enforce strict workplace discipline and submit monthly progress reports directly to the Chief Justice’s Secretariat.