Karki, who also holds the distinction of being Nepal’s first female Chief Justice, is widely recognized for her clarity of thought, firm stance, and integrity during her tenure in the judiciary.
She was appointed to the post by President Ramchandra Paudel under challenging and extraordinary circumstances on Friday, responding to the demands of the recent Gen Z demonstrations. Her name for the appointment to the post was backed from major political parties and other key stakeholders.
Born on June 7, 1952 at Shankharpur-3 of Biratnagar, Morang, Karki completed her Bachelor’s Degree from the Mahendra Morang College, Biratnagar. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University in 1975. After obtaining Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the Tribhuvan University, entered the legal profession as an advocate on March 29, 1979.
Karki also spent three years from 1985 teaching at the Mahendra Multiple Campus, Morang. She served as the President of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Koshi Zone for three years from 1988, and later as President of the NBA at the Biratnagar Appellate Court.
She received the title of senior advocate on December 20, 2004, and was appointed as a temporary judge of the Supreme Court on January 22, 2009. She became a permanent judge of the Supreme Court on November 18, 2010.
Karki served as the Chief Justice of Nepal from July 11, 2016, to June 6, 2017.
Her international visits include the United States, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, India, Tanzania, and the Netherlands. She is fluent in Nepali, English, and Hindi, and is known for her bold yet modest personality. (RSS)
