KATHMANDU: The Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives has directed the government to ensure the prompt and effective implementation of court verdicts.
The committee, at a meeting held at Singha Durbar on Thursday, reviewed the current status of verdict implementation and directed the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to take immediate and effective measures, stressing the principle that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
The committee also directed the Supreme Court to strengthen its Judgment Implementation Directorate or make it more adequately resourced, effective and empowered by bringing it under the executive branch, according to committee chair Samiksha Baskota.
The committee further decided to organise a one-day interaction programme to review the effectiveness of punishments for rape, judicial practices and necessary legal reforms, Baskota said.
At the meeting, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the government was serious about formulating a separate, unified law governing the implementation of court verdicts, as problems have emerged due to scattered legal provisions currently in place.
Gautam said the failure to implement decisions made by local judicial committees and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms at the grassroots level in the federal system has weakened public trust in the administration of justice.
She stressed the need for a time-bound mechanism and a judicial police system to address the situation in which cases take years to be decided and successful litigants may have to wait decades for the verdicts to be enforced.
Gajendra Bahadur Singh, director general of the Judgment Implementation Directorate, said delays occur when government agencies seek opinions from various bodies, including the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Law, after the Supreme Court has already issued a verdict.
He also criticised the practice of implementing court verdicts in installments. According to Singh, the government should present its position or objections before the court through hearings or written submissions before a verdict is issued. Delaying implementation after a final decision has been made, he said, is contrary to the rule of law.
Committee members also urged the government to take verdict implementation seriously, warning that weak enforcement could contribute to growing impunity.
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