Kathmandu, Oct. 1 -- The Supreme Court held a full-court meeting after police took former chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana into custody from his home in the early hours of Sunday and held him for about 12 hours before releasing him. The meeting objected to the government's action while also pledging to keep the administration of justice free from both external and internal influence.

The incident has also brought to the surface simmering discontent over Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma's appointment, his leadership style, the formation of the Constitutional Bench and factionalism within the judiciary.

The crisis could become an opportunity to address long-standing concerns over judicial appointments, the Constitutional Bench and th...