The government implemented a significant restructuring in the judicial system by promoting, assigning, and transferring 826 lower court judges in a single day prior to the upcoming national election, as per five official notifications from the law ministry. Among the total, 250 judges were elevated from additional district judge to district judge, while 294 moved from joint district judge to additional district judge. Additionally, 282 judicial officers were promoted from senior assistant judge to joint district judge. Some of these judges may be involved in electoral inquiry committees, responsible for investigating complaints, irregularities, and allegations during elections. These committees gather evidence, review polling center reports, and present their findings to the Election Commission to ensure transparency and accountability.
Sources within the law ministry explained that the extensive promotions, assignments, and transfers were conducted for various reasons, anticipating the imminent announcement of the national election schedule. With the election schedule on the horizon, such movements could complicate election-related duties. Officials believe that the Election Commission’s operations could face challenges if officers assigned to election duties are transferred at that time. The promotions and assignments of judges had been pending for several years, and with lower courts entering a month-long annual civil vacation starting December 2, authorities aimed to finalize the process before the break.
The decisions were described as routine measures undertaken in consultation with the Supreme Court. The sources indicated that such judicial reshufflings will not be possible once the Supreme Court secretariat is established, as the interim government recently approved the draft Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, 2025 on November 20.