Nepal, Jan. 18 -- A month after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Supreme Court has finally started hearing on the core content of the writ petitions against the move.

Though the hearing began on December 23 on as many as 13 petitions that have challenged the House dissolution, arguing that the move is extra-constitutional, the focus had been on the composition-whether the Constitutional Bench should hear the writs or they should be sent to an extended full bench.

It was only on Friday that the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court decided to continue hearing the petitions as "they fall under its jurisdiction" as the case warranted serious ...