KATHMANDU: The senior-most Justice of the Supreme Court, Sapana Pradhan Malla, has returned to work after a 20-day leave following her dissatisfaction over the recent Chief Justice appointment.

Malla, who was first in the seniority roll, was bypassed alongside second-ranked Justice Kumar Regmi and third-ranked Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal when the Constitutional Council recommended fourth-ranked Manoj Kumar Sharma for the top judicial post.

Expressing her discontent, Malla skipped Sharma’s official welcoming ceremony and approved her own leave in her capacity as the then-Acting Chief Justice just before Sharma assumed office on May 19.

Returning to court on Monday, she has resumed hearing cases, with 7 cases assigned to her single bench and 166 cases scheduled for her joint bench alongside Justice Meghraj Pokharel.