Kathmandu, May 9 -- 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.

This time, however, the Constitutional Council, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, has set that practice aside. It has recommended Manoj Kumar Sharma, who is fourth in the seniority order, for appointment as chief justice, bypassing senior justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi and Hari Prasad Phuyal.

The decision has sparked discussion within legal circles, among practising lawyers and in political fo...