Members of legislature and judiciary in face-off over appointment of next Chief Justice

May 21, 2026

Kathmandu (Nepal), May 19 (ANI): Members of Nepal's lower house and the officiating Chief Justice are in a face-off over the appointment of the next Chief Justice. The latest round of the face-off started following a written order from officiating Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla directing the Supreme Court administration to register a writ petition challenging the Constitutional Council's recommendation for the next Chief Justice. This incident exposed the intensifying division within the judiciary.On Monday, the officiating CJ instructed the apex court administration to complete registration of the petition, giving a deadline of 1 PM (local time). However, the chief registrar and registrars reportedly went out of contact, raising further questions over compliance with the order. The petition challenges the Constitutional Council's May 8 recommendation of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma for Chief Justice. It alleges that the council bypassed seniority by recommending the fourth-ranked justice instead of the senior-most candidate.