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Seventy-three-year-old Karki, Nepal’s first woman chief justice, is no stranger to history, and she shares a strong connection with India
Born in Biratnagar in 1952, Karki started her legal practice in 1979. (Pic: X/RONBUpdates)
In a dramatic turn of events in Kathmandu’s unrest, Gen Z protesters have named former chief justice Sushila Karki to lead an interim civilian government. The decision, reportedly taken in a virtual meeting, signals a generational push to sideline the political class and bring in a “politically neutral” figure seen as incorruptible and untainted by party deals.
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Seventy-three-year-old Karki, Nepal’s first woman chief justice, is no stranger to history, and she shares a strong connection with India. Karki studied political science at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi before returning to Nepal to pursue a law degree at Tribhuvan University.
In 2016, she became the first woman chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court, breaking one of the country’s hardest glass ceilings and patriarchal barriers. During her 11-month tenure, she built a reputation for delivering multiple uncompromising rulings against corruption and left her mark in Nepal’s judicial system with bold judgments that expanded women’s rights, including the right to confer citizenship to children.
However, her integrity made her a political target as well. In April 2017, the ruling party attempted an impeachment motion against her, accusing her of judicial overreach. The move collapsed following public outrage and a Supreme Court order, leaving Karki with her reputation intact and the political class red-faced.
Born in Biratnagar in 1952, Karki started her legal practice in 1979. She rose steadily, earning recognition as a senior advocate by 2007 and joining the Supreme Court in 2009. Following her retirement in 2017, she turned to writing, producing an autobiography, Nyaya, and also a novel, Kara, inspired by her own imprisonment during the Panchayat years. Both works cemented her image as not just a jurist but also a historical chronicler of Nepal’s struggle with justice and democracy.
For Nepal’s restless Gen Z protesters, who brought down KP Sharma Oli’s government with their digitally driven street protests, Karki represents credibility in a system they view as hollowed out. She is not tied to any party and carries a legacy of judicial independence, and has already defied the political elite once.
About the Author
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More
September 10, 2025, 21:35 IST
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