Brief Resume of Chairperson Hon.Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyay (Chief Justice Retd.)

Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyay (C. J. Retd) was appointed in the present post on 18th Sept. 2007. He had a long cherished career in Judiciary including twelve years in the Bench of the Supreme Court of Nepal. He attained retirement from the post of chief justice in the year 2004 after serving in the position for a period of fourteen months.

Prior to the appointment in the Supreme Court Mr. Upadhyay had occupied several important positions both in the Executive and the Judiciary. In his outstanding career, he served in different positions including Judge in the various Regional courts and the Zonal courts,  Senior Government Advocate in the office of the Attorney General and the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice. His additional assignments in the past also included ex-officio positions like   Chairman of Administrative Court, Member of Royal Commission on Judicial Reform and  the Director in the Board of Directors of Rastriya Banijya Bank.

Mr. Upadhyay was equally involved in different sectors ranging from bilateral, multi-lateral and non-governmental sectors. He was the Chairperson of SAARC Law, Nepal Chapter, Chairperson of Gender Equality Program, Steering Committee, Pro Public, Honorary Advisor of Mediation Center, Nepal. He had participated in several meetings and seminars as a chief guest or guest keynote speaker, chairperson, facilitator  and the trainer in the various areas covering  environmental protection, emancipation of women, transparency and good governance, torture and human rights. He was involved in  the research and amendment of  draft Bill of Legal Aid assigned by Legal Aid, human rights and Access to Justice Project of Nepal Bar Association.

Born in Jaleshwor, Mahottari District,  Nepal on Feb 1939. Mr. Upadhyay obtained basic degree from Patna University, India. He acquired his second degree in Law from Tribhuwan University, Nepal. Besides, he had completed comprehensive course in Public International Law (including Humanitarian Laws and Human Rights Jurisprudence). He is also a Diploma holder in Air and Space Law from the Institute of World Affairs, London (U. K.)

Mr. Upadhyay had participated in the UN fellowship program on Human Rights in Canada. He had attended UNHCHR Workshop on Justiciability of Economic Social and Cultural Rights and the colloquium on Access to Justice. Immediately after his appointment in NHRC Nepal, he led the Nepalese team in the APF Meeting in Australia.

During his tenure in the Supreme Court, he shouldered the responsibilities of  decision making process of the areas including restoring civil liberties, issuing writs of habeas corpus, by repudiating illegal detention orders, enabling women for equal rights and rendering justice to victims of sexual offence, ensuring children of their rights by invalidating the conditions of their exploitations and enforcing the rights of citizens to enjoy healthy environment.

Mr. Upadhyay,  was involved, as a delegate and also as team leader, in several international engagements like bilateral talks, regional seminars and conferences and UN Congress on Public International Law as also UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Treatment of Offenders, WIPO Regional Symposium on Trips Agreements, SAARC Law Conferences, and Meetings of Asian African Legal Consultative Committee etc. As the Chief Justice of the Apex Court, he had participated in the UN Judicial Group Meeting of Chief Justices, ADB Symposium for Chief Justices, Law-Asia conference of Chief Justices. 

He had meetings  the U. S. Supreme Court Justices during his visit to the US  under International Visitors Program and had acquired knowledge on the US legal system

 

Brief resume of Hon. Member Ram Nagina Singh

 

Member of National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Ram Nagina Singh was appointed in the present position on 19th Sept.2007.

 

As a law practioner, he has a long and outstanding career. He began his career as  an Advocate in 1962. He was recognised as  a  Senior Advocate in 1973. He was elected vice president of Nepal Bar Association, Janakpur branch (1966-1968).  He served three terms as President of Nepal Bar Association, Janakpur Branch(1969-1977 and 1991-1994). He was appointed as a member of The Nepal Bar Council for a tenure of 1996-1998.

 

He was appointed as a Justice of The Supreme Court of Nepal in April 19, 2001. He attained retirement from the apex court on February 7, 2007. 

 

During his tenure in the Supreme Court he delivered various verdicts to safeguard the constitutional and legal rights of the people including verdicts on habeas corpus. Verdict  on the writ against unconstitutionally formed Royal Commission for Anti- Corruption was one of the remarkable judgments he delivered during his tenure in the Supreme Court.  He was one of the five Judges seated in the Special Bench of The Supreme Court who  declared the Royal Court formed by the king unconstitutional and quashed it on March 14, 2006..

 

Besides his impressive career as a law practitioner, he was involved in different social activities . He was the working committee member of Nepal Red Cross, Dhanusha branch in 1973-1976 and 1991-1995.  He was president of the Nepal Red Cross Dhanusha Chapter from 1975-1979.  He is also a life member of the Nepal Red Cross.

 

Mr. Singh was the president of the Maithili Literature Council from 1973 to 1981. He became a life member of Nepal Disable Organization in 1983.  He was president of Nepal Disable Organization, Janakpur chapter from 1985-1989. He served as an executive member of the Central Committee of the Nepal Red Cross in the same period.

 

Mr. Singh is also a life member of Nepal Cancer Society since 1993. He was  president of the Nepal Cancer Society from 1996- 2001.  He was the executive member of Lions Club of Janakpur from(1977-1987).

 

Born  in Sarlahi District in February 10, 1942,  he obtained his Bachelor Degree in Commerce from Patna in 1959 and Bachelor Degree in Law from the same University in 1961.

 

He has traveled in India and the USA.

Brief Resume of NHRC Hon. Member Gauri Pradhan

  

 

 

Brief Resume of NHRC Hon. Member Dr. K. B. Rokaya

 

 

Dr. K.B. Rokaya was appointed by the Constitutional Council of Nepal as Member of the National Human Rights Commission on Sept. 18^th, 2007.  Over the past decade, while Government and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) were in conflict, Dr. Rokaya has been deeply engaged in the human rights movement of Nepal.  Prior to being appointed a Member of the NHRC, he was actively involved in conflict resolution and peace-building.  Due to this work, he was nominated as a Member of the Government-Maoist Ceasefire Code of Conduct National Monitoring Committee 2006.

 

Previously, Dr. Rokaya was employed by the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, and Kathmandu for more than 23 years.  During this time, he served as Associate Professor, Head of Department and Campus Chief/Assistant Dean.  Later, he worked as the Director of Engineering and Industrial Development at the United Mission to Nepal (UMN), and Country Director of ITDG (‘Practical Action’), a UK-based INGO.  He also served as Board Director of the Butwal Power Company Limited, Himal Hydro and General Construction Company Limited, President of the People's Rights Concern Movement, Chairman of Nepal Bible Society and founder President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN).

 

A distinguished researcher, Dr. Rokaya has published dozens of articles and research on hydropower and energy in national and international journals, newspapers and magazines.  These include: “Energy Demand and Fuel Substitution Model for Urban Domestic Sector (For Electricity Planning): the Case of Nepal”, (Philippine Engineering Journal, 1992), Mini-and Micro-Hydropower Programme in Nepal (Hangzhou Regional Centre For Small Hydropower, China,1994), Small Hydro Power Development in Nepal (University of the Philippines, 1988), Country Report on Mini-and Micro-Hydropower Programme in Nepal (ICIMOD, 1993), Is the Mahakali Treaty in the Best Interest of Nepal? (Everest Herald, Kathmandu).  

 

Dr. Rokaya was a member of the Task Force that prepared the Perspective Energy Plan for Nepal (National Planning Commission & UNDP, 1995), as well as a member of the team which worked on Formulation of Electricity Tariff Regulations (Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission, 1997) and the National Team Leader for the ICIMOD/NORAD "Design and Testing of a Regional Training Program on Mini-and Micro-Hydropower for Mountain Development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region" (1988).

 

Dr. Rokaya's many interviews and articles on hydropower, energy policy, human rights, conflict, Nepal’s peace process, contemporary political issues and the role of religious communities in peace-building have been published by national newspapers and magazines.  

 

Born in the remote Paik VDC of Jajarkot district in the Mid-West Region of Nepal on December 7^th, 1954, Dr. Rokaya obtained his Ph.D. degree in Energy Engineering from the University of the Philippines in 1991.  He completed his M.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Power Systems) from the University of Bradford, UK in 1980 as well as his Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India in 1977.

 

During his career, Dr. Rokaya has visited many foreign countries, including: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka,  Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.  

 

He is married with Draupadi Rokaya (Thapa) and has two sons, Enosh and Saurav.