KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs is preparing to formulate regulations in line with the recently amended Transitional Justice Act to enable the full functioning of Nepal’s transitional justice mechanisms.
Despite the appointment of office-bearers to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP), progress has been hampered due to the absence of necessary regulations that would allow the commissions to begin substantive work.
“The government is committed to bringing the transitional justice process to a conclusion,” said Law Minister Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya in a statement to the national news agency RSS. “We have intensified efforts to prepare the regulations based on the provisions of the amended Act,” he added.
The Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons, and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Third Amendment) Act, 2024 has already come into effect. Following its enforcement, officials from both transitional justice commissions have assumed their roles, but are awaiting a regulatory framework to move forward with investigations and hearings.
Minister Chaurasiya confirmed that drafts of the regulations are being developed in accordance with the changes made in the amendment.
In the fiscal year 2024/25, the Law Ministry has also issued several key legal instruments including the TRC Third Amendment Act, the Legislation Act 2024, and the District Court (Third Amendment) Rules 2024.
According to the Ministry, it has provided theoretical consent to the concept notes of 19 bills from various ministries, approved the draft of 17 bills, and agreed to amend 13 existing laws. In addition, the Ministry has reviewed six ordinance drafts, 13 new regulations, and proposed amendments to 23 existing regulations.
The finalization of regulations under the TRC Act is considered a crucial step toward addressing the demands of conflict victims and ensuring that Nepal’s long-delayed transitional justice process gains meaningful momentum.
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