DBAN, High Court Bar Association, Patan host workshop on bridging banking and law

KATHMANDU: High Court Bar Association, Patan, and the Development Bankers Association Nepal (DBAN) jointly hosted a workshop titled 'Bridging Banking and Law: Roles and Responsibilities of Legal Practitioners'.

The recently held event, chaired by High Court Bar Association, Patan Chairperson Bidur Prasad Dhungana, featured presentations by banking expert BN Gharti and Advocate Pravin Poudyal. The workshop attracted around 400 professionals, including senior advocates, advocates, and bankers. It was moderated by High Court Bar Association Secretary Prabal Sharma, with DBAN CEO Manjila Dangol highlighting the event's objective.

Dhungana pointed out that legal practitioners often struggle with understanding technical banking terms, which hinders their ability to argue cases. This collaboration with DBAN aimed to address this issue.

Gharti emphasised the need to avoid dragging banks and financial institutions (BFIs) into controversy. He noted that while non-performing loans are on the rise, they do not necessarily indicate a banking offence. He stressed the importance of recognising the intentions behind these loans and the challenges posed by a lack of uniform guidelines for real estate collateral valuation. Gharti highlighted that some employees with good intentions face legal issues due to these inconsistencies, leading to panic among bankers.

Advocate Poudyal highlighted the lack of support from government agencies and called for harmonisation of the Act's provisions, Supreme Court precedents, and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) instructions, with a focus on protecting depositors' interests.

Attorney General Ramesh Badal, chief guest, reaffirmed the commitment to resolving cheque dishonour cases, avoiding legal action where loans have been repaid, and protecting those acting in good faith. He assured that the presenters' suggestions would be considered in future legal amendments.

Supreme Court's former judge Anil Sinha, the chief commentator, praised the co-organisers for addressing contemporary issues. He stressed the importance of proper loan utilisation and repayment and the need to remove impractical legal clauses. Sinha also urged public officials to ensure they enforce the law diligently.

Nepal Bar Association General Secretary Anjita Khanal and High Court, Patan's Acting Chief Justice Lalbahadur Kunwar also shared their views at the programme. Senior Advocate and former Attorney General Sushil Kumar Pant and Senior Advocate Mahesh Thapa provided additional commentary on the working papers.