Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Accountability for Conflict-Era Human Rights Violations in Nepal: An Appraisal of Strategic Human Rights Litigation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Shifting Horizons of Public International Law

  • 481 Accesses

Abstract

Through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Interim Constitution of 2007, Nepal has vowed to address the conflict-era human rights violations including through adopting a credible transitional justice processes. However, the national commitments towards ensuring accountability for past human rights violations and ensuring non-repetition of such violations in future are yet to be fulfilled. In this context, the judicial activism appears to have been a silver lining in terms of taking forward the transitional justice issues. In this backdrop, this chapter aims to analyse the decisions of Supreme Court of Nepal pertaining to promoting accountability for the past human rights violations and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of judicial response in the light of victims’ right to effective remedy guaranteed under the international human rights treaties and jurisprudence. This chapter finally provides a set of suggestions towards strengthening the transitional justice process in Nepal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bowcott O (2015) Nepalese Colonel Faces Torture Trial in UK, The Guardian. Available at http://goo.gl/Z5MkTv, (27 February 2015)

  • Chapagai RP (2009) National application of international human rights law: a Nepali perspective, NJA (National Judicial Academy). Law J vol 3, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapagai RP (2014) Review of the legislative framework and jurisprudence concerning the right to adequate food. Office of the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations, Rome. http://goo.gl/L9j22F

  • Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 2015 (1959 AD) was promulgated. http://goo.gl/uRYfqt

  • Hachhethu K (1990) Transition to democracy in Nepal negotiations behind constitution making. http://goo.gl/nmuQ8q

  • Law Reporter, Nepal 2065 (2008 AD) No. 9, p 1108

    Google Scholar 

  • NJA (2016) A Study on Implementation Status of the Supreme Court and Appellate Court Decisions and Orders concerning Impunity, Transitional Justice and Accountability, documents 18 Appellate Court Orders requiring the authorities to file FIR or proceed criminal investigation as provided under the State Cases Act and the Regulation

    Google Scholar 

  • OHCHR, Nepal Conflict Report (2012), pp 112, 117, 152, 180

    Google Scholar 

  • Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (2012) Nepal Conflict Report, pp 36–39. http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/NP/OHCHR_Nepal_Conflict_Report2012.pdf

  • OHCHR-Nepal (2011) Legal Opinion, ‘The relationship between Transitional Justice mechanisms and the Criminal Justice system Can conflict-related human rights and humanitarian law violations and abuses be deferred or suspended on the basis of commitments to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?’, pp 1–3. Available at http://goo.gl/E2YUPb

  • OHCHR-Nepal’s Legal Opinion on Remedies and Rights Revoked: Case withdrawal for serious crimes in Nepal, 2011. http://goo.gl/33hxhn

  • Petition, Writ (2002) No 2942 of the year 2059, decision dated 9 January 2004

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2004) No 3393 of 2061(BS), decision dated 11 July 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2005a) No 3219 of the year 2062, decision dated 17 December 2007

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2005b) No 3394 of the Year 2061, decision dated 10 February 2006

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2006a) No 3348 of the Year 2063, decision dated 12 May 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2006b) No 3348 of the Year 2063, decision dated 12 May 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2007a) No 0863 of the year 2064, decision dated 7 December 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2007b) No 434 of the Year 2007, decision dated 18 September 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2009) No 1333 of the Year 2066, decision dated 2069-01-05

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2010) No 067-wo-1198 of the year 2067, decision dated 13 August 2010

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2012a) No 0057 of the year 2069 (BS), decision dated 2070-9-18(BS)

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2012b) No 0057 of the year 2069(BS), decision dated 2 January 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2012c) No 069-WS-0057 & of the Year 2069(BS), decision dated decision dated 2 January 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2012d) No 069-WS-0058 & of the Year 2069(BS), decision dated 2 January 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2013a) No 0050 of the year 2070(BS), decision dated 26 February 2015

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2013b) No 711 of the Year 2070 (B.S.), decision dated 10 June 2015

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2013c) No 0050 of the year 2070(BS), decision dated 26 February 2015 Report, Interim (2015), Truth and Reconciliation Commission

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2014) No 0057 of the year 2069(BS), decision dated 2 January 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Petition, Writ (2015) No 0050 of the year 2070(BS), decision dated 26 February 2015

    Google Scholar 

  • Report (2013) Expert Task Force mandated to draft bills concerning Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on Inquiry into Disappeared People submitted to the Ministry of Peace Reconstruction, dated 2070-12-20 (BS)

    Google Scholar 

  • Submissions to the Parliament by Justice and Rights Institute (JuRI-Nepal) and Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), April 2016

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (1994) Government of Nepal v Dil Bahadur Lama and others, NKP 2051, vol 7, p 504; Criminal Appeal No. 4940 of the year 2051(BS), 18 August 1994

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2007a) Government of Nepal v Devendra Mandal and others, Criminal Appeal No. 0197 of the year 2064(BS), 3 September 2007

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2007b) Rabindra Prasad Dhakal and Advocate Rajendra Prasad Dhakal and Ors v Nepal and Ors, Decision on Petition for Habeas Corpus and Mandamus, Nepal Law Review 49(2), Decision No. 7817P, 169, ILDC 756 (NP 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2007c) Rasaili v. Government of Nepal, Supreme Court of Nepal, order of December 14, 2009 in Writ No. 0339/2064 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2009) Kedar Chaulagain v. Kavre District Police Office and District Attorney’s Office, Supreme Court of Nepal, Chief Justice Anupraj Sharma and Justice Ram Kumar Prasad Shah, Writ No. 064‐WO‐0339, 14 December 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2011) Sushil Pyakurel and Others v. Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and Others, Writ No 1094 of the year 2068, decision dated 21 June 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • Supreme Court (2014) Govinda Sharma Bandi v. Attorney General Mr. Mukti Pradhan, Office of the Attorney General, Writ petition no 04740 of the Year 2069, decision dated 2 April 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • The Constitution of Nepal, 2019 (1962 AD)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program Department, Supreme Court Bar Association, Mandwi, Kalikaasthan, Dillibajar, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Raju Prasad Chapagai & Pankaj Kumar Karn

Authors
  1. Raju Prasad Chapagai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pankaj Kumar Karn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raju Prasad Chapagai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

    J.L. Kaul

  2. Law Centre-II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, University Enclave, New Delhi, India

    Anupam Jha

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chapagai, R.P., Karn, P.K. (2018). Accountability for Conflict-Era Human Rights Violations in Nepal: An Appraisal of Strategic Human Rights Litigation. In: Kaul, J., Jha, A. (eds) Shifting Horizons of Public International Law. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3724-2_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3724-2_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

  • Print ISBN: 978-81-322-3722-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-81-322-3724-2

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation