[JURIST] The Nepal Supreme Court [official website] decided Sunday to ask that the country's government revisit twelve separate portions of the temporary constitution [eKantipur highlights; JURIST news archive] on the country's judicial branch. The court's concern stems from the document's posture on judicial independence, especially the clause that gives the Prime Minister sole discretion in appointing the Chief Justice. The constitution had been scheduled for finalization [JURIST report] in mid-January following approval by Nepal's House of Representatives.

Last month, Nepalese government negotiators and Maoist rebels reached an agreement [JURIST report] on the 168 articles of the interim constitution to replace Nepal's current constitution [text] following the agreed end of the decade-long Maoist guerilla insurgency against the Nepalese government that left over 13,000 people dead. DPA has more.