KATHMANDU, Dec. 6 -- The Judicial Council (JC) led by Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana on Thursday failed to pick the nominee for a vacant post of justice at the Supreme Court (SC).

"The decision couldn't take place due to a dispute in the JC," a source close to JC told Republica. According to him, the five-member committee was divided over the naming JC's outgoing member Padam Baidik for the position of SC justice. Baidik resigned from the JC earlier during the day.

Chief Justice Rana and member Ram Prasad Sitaula were in favor of picking Baidik for the judgeship while SC's senior justice Deepak Kumar Karki, who is also an ex-officio member of the JC, and Law Minister Upendra Yadav objected to the idea.

The justice position had fallen...