Nepal bypasses acting CJ, fourth-in-line picked to lead the judiciary

Constitutional Council brushes aside Acting Chief Justice Malla and two other senior justices as Prime Minister Shah prevails.

Nepal’s Constitutional Council has breached the seniority rule, in practice for seven decades, while picking the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The council, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, recommended Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma, the fourth-ranking judge in the top court, amid reservations from two of its members.