Press Release on the Visit of the Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal to the United Kingdom

PRESS RELEASE

The Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, arrived in London on 27 April 2025 for an official visit to the United Kingdom. The Rt. Hon. Chief Justice is accompanied by Hon. Mr. Hari Phuyal, Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Mr. Ritendra Thapa, Judge of the Special Court, Hon. Mr. Hemanta Rawal, Judge of the High Court, and Mr. Bimal Poudel, Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nepal. The judicial delegation was received at London Heathrow by H. E. Mr. Chandra Kumar Ghimire, Ambassador of Nepal to the United Kingdom, and other senior diplomats from the Embassy.

On 29 April 2025, the Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal held a meeting with the Rt. Hon. the Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom,  at his office. On the occasion, the two dignitaries signed and exchanged the Letter of Goodwill, reinforcing the longstanding ties between the Supreme Court of Nepal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. In the Letter of Goodwill, both sides have affirmed their mutual commitment of respective judiciaries to sharing best practices and promoting cooperation and mutual assistance between the two apex courts and judicial systems.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut, highlighted some of the landmark judgments rendered by the Supreme Court of Nepal where judgments of UK Supreme Court have been cited as references in Nepal. The President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom the Rt. Hon. the Lord Reed of Allermuir acknowledged the historical ties between the two countries and assured to support Nepal's judicial sector.

The signing of the Letter of Goodwill marks a significant milestone in the judicial history of Nepal and the UK. The two dignitaries discussed various aspects of judicial practices and experiences and agreed to collaborate on the areas of training of judicial officials, sharing experience of the efficient administration of justice, judgments drafting and judicial practices, and promoting cooperation in upholding the rule of law. On a different occasion, the Chief Justice also held discussions with the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill about the potential exchange of cooperation between the judicial mechanisms of the two countries.

Later in the afternoon, the Rt. Hon. Chief Justice met with the Rt. Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons of the UK. During the meeting, the two dignitaries discussed various bilateral matters of mutual interest, including the relationship between parliament and the judiciary. On the same day, on various occasions, notable figures such as Hon. Mr. Justice Robin Knowles of the Judiciary of England and Wales, Lord Justice Dingemans, Lord Justice Snowden of the international judicial team, Mrs. Justice Eady, Rt. Hon. Edward Lord Garnier, Professor James Lee from King's College London, and Hon. David Smith MP of the House of Commons paid their courtesy calls on the Rt. Hon. Chief Justice of Nepal and interacted on various dimensions of judicial systems and potential areas of cooperation.

On 30 April 2025, the Rt. Hon. Chief Justice interacted with prominent figures in the judicial system of the UK, including the Judicial Appointment Commissioner Mr. Tanweer Ikram, Chair of the Bar of England and Wales Ms. Barbara Mills KC, Chair of the Bar Council's International Committee Mr. Hugh Mercer KC, among others.  Speaking on the occasion, the Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut commended the British tradition of legal reasoning, objectivity, impartiality and unwavering dedication to the ideals of fairness and justice. The Rt. Hon. Chief Justice also stressed that the signing of the Letter of Goodwill between the two apex courts will reinforce the bonds between the judiciaries of both countries and promote a deeper mutual understanding and cooperation. The Rt. Hon. the Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the Supreme Court of Nepal also emphasized the long-standing and historical relationship between the two countries and expressed optimism that the Letter of Goodwill will enhance collaboration in the areas of legal traditions and judicial systems of the two countries.

Later in the evening, H. E. Mr. Chandra Kumar Ghimire hosted a reception in honour of the Rt. Hon. Mr. Prakash Man Singh Raut at the Embassy. Numerous illustrious figures from the UK's judicial system and society, including the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom the Rt. Hon. the Lord Reed of Allermuir, attended the reception.  

On 1 May 2025, the Judicial delegation from Nepal continued their interactions with some prominent figures from the UK's judicial sectors, including HHJ Anthony Leonard KC and HHJ Sarah Whitehouse of Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court), as well as Mr. Kieron Beal KC, Chair of the Inner Temple International Committee, among others.

During their stay in the UK, the judicial delegation will visit Scotland to learn about and exchange insights on the judicial system and practices of the two countries.

Embassy of Nepal
London
1 May 2025