Politicians, ex-justices note breach of seniority in chief justice pick

The recommendation of Manoj Kumar Sharma as chief justice has broken the seniority norm, raising questions over the Constitutional Council’s decision.

Nepal’s Supreme Court has long followed an informal but deeply rooted practice in which the senior-most justice is eventually elevated to the position of chief justice. Though not written in law, the convention has guided judicial succession for decades and is widely seen as a stabilising norm in the institution.