Analysis of Juvenile Justice System of

Nepal in the Perspective of International

Juvenile Justice Standards
Rajendra Ghimire*

Abstract
In this article, the author tends to discuss evolution, rationale of the
juvenile justice systems. Moreover, the article attempts to articulate
international standard developed in the subject. Minimum age of criminal
responsibility, conditions for arrest and detention, juvenile courts and
trial procedures, specialized institutions for juvenile justice, diversion
and alternative sentencing, re-integration and rehabilitation policy are
the sectional themes that author discusses in the article. Further the
article tends to bring Nepali scenario fore and discusses Nepali laws,
policy, practice along with research finding back up. Finaly the article
concludes with its findings and provides for the recommendations.

1. Introduction to ‘Juvenile Justice’

The term ‘juvenile justice’ implies different meanings and systems in different
countries. The reasons for intervention, the ages taken into consideration,
the institutions involved, the reaction, the objectives of intervention and the
structural organization can all vary between systems. 1 A juvenile justice
system is a set of rules, norms and institutions which are devised for children
who come into contact with the justice system as a result of being suspected
or accused of violating law. It starts with the arrest of a child and ends after a
decision is made, within or outside the formal justice system. It looks at the
implications of sentencing options, with particular attention to those subjected
to deprivation of liberty.2 One of the leading child rights NGOs, Defense for
Children International (DCI), defines juvenile justice as follows: 3
“The term “juvenile justice” refers to legislation, norms and standards,
procedures, mechanisms and provisions, institutions and bodies
specifically applicable to juvenile offenders...... It also includes efforts to
*
Advocate and Executive Director at Forum for Protection of People's Rights, Nepal (PPR Nepal).
This paper is an updated version of a part of research conducted for partial fulfillment of the
requirements for obtaining the degree of Masters of Arts in Development Studies, Specialization
on Human Rights, Development and Social Justice, (HDS), the Institute of Social Studies, The
Hague, The Netherlands. I acknowledge the contribution of my supervisor Prof. Dr. Karin Arts.
1 CAPELAERE, G., A. GRANDJEAN AND Y. NAQVI, CHILDREN DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY:
RIGHTS AND REALITIES 10 (Jeunesse et droit and Defense for Children International 2004).
2 UNICEF, JUVENILE JUSTICE 2 (International Child Development Centre 2004).
3 DCI, WHAT IS JUVENILE JUSTICE? 1 (Defense for Children International 2008).
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................139

address the root causes of offending behavior and implement

measures to prevent such behavior...” .
Government systems for handling the issue of children in conflict with the law vary in
name and approach according to the context of a particular country. Children may be
dealt with through the formal justice system, the welfare system, or, for minor
offences, by an administrative system. Wherever the system contains a degree of
specialization for children - whether the system is based on courts, the welfare
system or an administrative system - it is known as a juvenile justice system .4

2. The Evolution, Rationale of the Juvenile Justice Systems

Historically speaking, initially the concept of juvenile justice system was mainly
developed in the US and Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At
that time the system mostly aimed at protecting children in conflict with the law by
separating them from adult offenders. 5 However, the second international
Penitentiary Congress (Stockholm, 1878) resolved that delinquent children
should not be punished but educated so as to enable them to “gain an honest
6
livelihood and to become of use to society instead of an injury to it”.
Juvenile courts really emerged at the turn of the twentieth century. In the
beginning they were based on the legal doctrine of parens patriae.7 The
British doctrine ‘parens patriae’ was the basis for the right of the state to
intervene in a manner different from the way it intervenes in the lives of adult.
The doctrine was interpreted to mean that, because children were not of full
legal capacity, the state had power and responsibility to provide protection for
children whose parents were not providing appropriate care or protection. 8
Most of the traditional juvenile justice systems were based on a welfare approach.
Recently, the trends in juvenile justice have tended to shift towards a justice oriented
approach, emphasizing fair trial rights and punishment proportionate to the acts
committed and the extent to which a child is responsible for them. The minimum age
of criminal responsibility in a justice-based system is usually lower than that of
welfare-based systems and represents the age at which children are assumed to
have necessary attributes to bear moral and criminal responsibility.9
4 UNICEF, JUVENILE JUSTICE IN SOUTH ASIA: IMPROVING PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH LAW 1 (The

United Nations Children's Fund, Regional Office for South Asia 2006).
5 ABA, THE HISTORY OF JUVENILE JUSTICE 4 [electronic version 2007]. http://www.
abanet .org/published/ features/DYJpart1.pdf (accessed 20 March 2008).
6 WEIJERS I, The Double Paradox of Juvenile Justice, EUR. JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL
POLICY AND RESEARCH 7, 329-351, 1999
7 A Latin term that means the state as parents.
8 OJJDP, JUVENILE JUSTICE A CENTURY OF CHANGE 2 (US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs,

9 MALBY, S., Juvenile Justice and the United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and Criminal Justice
Systems, IN K. AROMAA et. al. (eds) CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSICE SUSTEM IN EUROPE AND
NORTH AMERICA 118-119 (Helsinki: European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control 2008).
140 NJA Law Journal - 2013

The US Supreme Court in the Roper v. Simmons case (543 U.S.

2005: 551) identified the following three general differences between
juveniles under 18 and adults offenders:

“First, juveniles show a lack of maturity and an underdeveloped

sense of responsibility in comparison to adults. Second, juveniles
are more susceptible to negative influences and peer pressure
and have a reduced sense of control over their environment.
Third, a juvenile’s character is not yet fixed.10

The juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system differ in many ways
but also have some common ground. Juvenile justice, as opposed to criminal
justice, recognizes children who come into conflict with the law as victims. It
takes into account the fact that children lack the maturity of adults (morally and
cognitively, physically and emotionally). It recognizes that most of the children
who come into conflict with the law are victims of neglect, exploitation, and social
and economic hardship. These children need special care, guidance, protection,
education, training and the opportunity of rehabilitation and reintegration. 11
Not only the US and Europe, but other parts of the world also practiced
alternatives to the formal mechanisms for dealing with cases of children. For
example, in Asia, the Government of Laos in 1997 formulated in a national policy
that every village should have a Village Mediation Unit. According to this policy,
the cases of children in conflict with the law are heard at village level by a
Juvenile Mediation Unit. The policy has prescribed many diversion measures,
applicable at various stages during the process of handling children’s case such
as cautions, mediation programs, victim-offender dialogue, family group
conferences (FGCs) and pre-trial community service. 12
New Zealand promulgated the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act in 1989
(CYPF Act 1989) which introduced an innovative system for responding to the child in
conflict with the law. The system emphasizes diversion from courts and custody, and, while
holding children accountable, facilitates the construction of responses that aim to provide
for the rehabilitation and reintegration of them, support for their families, and that take into
account the needs of victims.13 The provisions of FGCs are
10 ABA, Supra note 5, p. 12.
11 UNICEF & AIHRC, JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN: THE SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH
THE LAW IN AFGHANISTAN 4 (Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and United
Nations Children's Fund 2007). http://www.unicef. de / fileadmin/content media/presse/Afghanistan
JuvenileJustice /Juvenile _DetentionStudyengl.pdf (accessed 14 June 2008).
12 SC UK, JUVENILE JUSTICE: MODERN CONCEPTS OF WORKING WITH CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW
55-56 (Save the Children UK 2004. http://www.crin. org /docs/ savejj _modern_concepts.pdf ) (accessed 12 March 2008).
13 MSD, YOUTH JUSTICE IN NEW ZEALAND: OVERVIEW OF PRINCIPLES AND
PROCESS 1 (Ministry of Social Development New Zealand 2007).
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................141

the most important aspect of New Zealand’s juvenile justice system. The CYPF Act,
1989 section 260 provides that FGCs are to make such decisions, recommendations
and plans as are thought to be “necessary or desirable in relation to the child or
young person in respect of whom the conference was convened.”

In recent years, the issue of children in conflict with the law has become an increasing
concern for South Asian countries and reform initiatives are going on in many
countries. All the countries in the region have some differentiated procedures for
children’s case but no country in the region has fully functioning comprehensive and
separate juvenile justice system.14 In the South Asian region, India promulgated the
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in 2000. The Act deals with
children in conflict with the law and children in need of protection. The Act aims to
create a separate system of justice for children at every stage, distinct from adult
criminal justice system. Bhutan does not have separate juvenile justice legislation, nor
a separate juvenile justice system. In the late 1990s a bill was drafted in Bhutan in
order to introduce systematic and specialized legal framework for juvenile justice
system.15 The Government of Bangladesh promulgated the Children Act 1974 to deal
with the justice system both for children in conflict with the law and children in need of
protection. In spite of promulgation of the Act almost 30 years back, Bangladesh has
yet to establish a comprehensive and separate juvenile justice system.16

3. International Standards on the Juvenile Justice

The CRC and other relevant human rights and juvenile justice instruments have
set standards for juvenile justice systems. United Nations bodies such as the
Economic and Social Council, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the
Human Rights Committee and UNICEF have contributed to the process of global
standard setting for juvenile justice. Governmental and non-governmental
organizations working on the rights of the child, fair trial and justice have also
contributed, on the national as well as the international level.

International instruments can be divided into ‘hard’ law and ‘soft’ law for practical
convenience. Treaties are hard law as they are binding on the states parties after they
have undergone the ratification process. Declarations, resolutions, guidelines and the
likes are usually soft law. These instruments have not undergone the process of
ratification and they are not strictly binding on states. Although soft law does not
create any direct obligation on states, it does carry the legitimacy of the international
community. It is therefore highly useful and important for the development of juvenile
justice jurisprudence at the national and international

14 UNICEF, supra note 4, p I.

15 Id, pp. 53-56.
16 Id, p. 39.
142 NJA Law Journal - 2013

level.17 The CRC, ICCPR and CAT are hard laws on juvenile justice and
declarations and resolutions such as the Beijing Rules, the Riyadh
Guidelines and the JDLs are soft laws. In this article both the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’
laws have been taken as relevant international instruments of juvenile justice.

The international instruments on juvenile justice can also be divided into ‘juvenile
justice specific’ and ‘general human rights’ instruments. As per this division, the
CRC, the Beijing Rules, the Riyadh Guidelines and the JDLs are juvenile justice
specific instruments and the ICCPR and CAT are general human rights
instruments. For any analysis of juvenile justice standards both the specific
juvenile justice instruments and general human rights instruments are relevant.

The Juvenile justice system is not and should not be a part of the regular adult
criminal justice system. Nevertheless there may be some similarities in procedures
and due process guarantees. Measures for special care, special protection and
special procedures are required to protect and promote the best interests of the child
in cases of children. Binding and non–binding, juvenile justice specific and general
human rights international instruments provide the framework for the proper
administration of juvenile justice and mechanisms for enforcing them.

The CRC requires state parties to develop and implement a comprehensive juvenile
justice policy. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated that “the
comprehensive approach should not be limited to the implementation of specific
provisions contained in Article 37 and 40 of the CRC, but should also take into
account the general principles enshrined in article 2, 3, 6 and 12 and all other relevant
articles of the CRC”.18 Rule 1(4) of the Beijing Rules states that “juvenile justice shall
be conceived as an integral part of the national development process of each country
within a comprehensive frame work of social justice for all juveniles.’ Juvenile justice
systems should also be developed systematically and in a coordinated way so as “to
improve and sustain the competence of personnel involved in the system, including
their methods, approaches and attitudes” (The Beijing Rules, Rule 1(6)). Following
are the important aspects of establishing and proper functioning of comprehensive
and separate juvenile justice systems, seen from a CRBA and directed at serving the
best interests of the child.

3.1 Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR)

CRC Article 40(3) obligates state parties to set a MACR below which children shall be
presumed not to have the capacity to infringe the penal law, but it does not mention
17 ISHWAR KHATIWADA, ENSURING FAIR TRIAL IN CSES CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE
LAW: NEPALESE PERSPECTIVES 16 [electronic version 2005] (http://www.human rights
.dk/files /Importerede%20filer/hr/pdf/ ishwor.pdf.) (accessed 12 March 2008).
18 CRC, General Comment No. 10: Children’s Rights in Juvenile Justice 3, 2007(Publication no. CRC/C/
GC/10). Retrieved 20 March 2008: http://www2.ohchr .org/english/bodies/crc/docs/AdvanceVersions /
GeneralComment10-02feb07.pdf (accessed 20 March 2008).
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................143

a specific minimum age in this regard. Rule 2(2a) of the Beijing Rules defines a
juvenile as “a child or young person who, under the respective legal systems,
may be dealt with for an offence in a manner which is different from an adult”.
Rule 4(1) recommends that states parties not set a too low MACR and that the
“emotional, mental and intellectual maturity” of the juveniles should be
considered when determining the age of criminal responsibility. The CRC and the
Beijing Rules do not set a MACR directly, but they lay some basis for it. In
accordance with the basis set by the CRC and the Beijing rules the Committee
on the Rights of the Child has set 12 years as the MARC and stated that: 19

“... The states should not set the MACR below the age of 12 and the
Committee encourages to increase their lower MACR to the age of
12 years as the absolute minimum age and to continue to increase it
to a higher level…. that MACR below the age of 12 years is
considered by the Committee not to be internationally acceptable’’.

3.2 Conditions for Arrest and Detention

CRC Article 37(a) provides that children shall not be subjected to torture or other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and that no child shall be deprived of his or
her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be
in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the
shortest appropriate period of time (article 37(b)) and special protection shall be provided
to children who are deprived of a family environment (articles 19, 20). Article 9 concerns
family contact in cases where children are separated from their families. CRC Article 37
provides basic principles to be followed at the time of deprivation of liberty, the procedural
rights of every child deprived of liberty, and provisions regarding the treatment and
conditions once deprived of their liberty. The leading principles are spelled out in CRC
article 37(b): the “arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the
law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate
period of time”, and “no child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily”.

Article 40 of the CRC asserts that children in conflict with the law
should be treated “in a manner consistent with the child’s sense of
dignity and worth… and which takes into account the child’s age and
the desirability of promoting the child’s reintegration.”
The JDL has also laid down important guiding principles regarding arrest and
detention of the child in conflict with the law such as that deprivation of liberty should
be a last resort and for a minimum period and that it should be limited to exceptional
cases (Rules 1, 2). Juveniles should only be deprived of their liberty in
19 Id, p. 11.
144 NJA Law Journal - 2013

accordance with the principles and the procedures of international law,

deprivation of liberty should only be in facilities which guarantee the health, self-
respect, and sense of responsibility of juveniles and these facilities should also
foster their skills, access to the family members should be allowed, and all
juveniles deprived of their liberty should be helped to understand their rights and
obligations during detention (Rules 2, 17, 18 of JDL).

Beijing Rule 10(1) provides that when a juvenile is arrested or detained, his
or her parents must be notified immediately, or within the shortest possible
period of time. Any contacts between law enforcement agencies and a
juvenile must be managed in such a way as to respect the legal status of the
juvenile to promote his or her well being and avoid harm to the juvenile (Rule
10(3), the Beijing Rules). Especially, the police must not use harsh, abusive
or obscene language or physical violence in their dealings with children (ru1e
12, the Beijing Rules). Rule 13 of the Beijing Rules provides that, whenever
possible, alternatives to the deprivation of liberty such as close supervision,
placement with a family or in an educational or home setting should be used.

Rule 26(4) of the Beijing Rules provides that juveniles in the institutions
should be kept separate from adults and that young female offenders
should be provided with special attention as per their personnel needs
and problems. They should by no means receive less care, protection,
assistance, treatment and training than young male offenders.

The ICCPR contains provisions which stipulate that juvenile offenders shall be
segregated from adults and be accorded treatment appropriate to their age and legal
status (article 10). Its Article 14 states that procedures against juvenile persons
should take account of the age and the desirability of promoting rehabilitation. In
addition, the CAT states that States should take effective legislative, administrative,
judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture and that no one shall be
subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment (article 2).

3.3 Juvenile Courts and Trial Procedures

CRC Article 37(d) states that children in conflict with the law have the right to have the
matter determined without delay by a competent, independent and impartial authority
in a fair hearing. Throughout the proceedings, children have the right to have a parent
or guardian present, and to have appropriate legal or other assistance. 20 The CRC
contains an important list of rights and guarantees that are all meant to ensure that
every child (accused of) having infringed the penal law receives fair treatment and
trial (article 12, 16, 37 and 40(2)). These rights include

20 UNICEF, MANUAL FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF JUVENILE JSTICE INDICATORS 7-8 (The United Nations Children’s
Fund, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, New York, 2006).
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................145

rights against retroactive juvenile justice, the presumption of innocence, the right
to be heard, the right to effective participation in the proceedings, the right not to
get the death penalty, prompt and direct information of the charges, the right to
get legal and other necessary assistance, decisions without delay and with
involvement of parents, freedom from compulsory self incrimination, the right to
presence and examination of witnesses, the right to appeal, the right to get free
assistance of an interpreter, and the right to privacy.

3.4 Specialized Institutions for Juvenile Justice

As stated in CRC article 40(3), states parties should “seek to promote
the establishment of laws, procedures, authorities and institutions
specifically applicable” to children in conflict with the penal law. The
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has observed that:

“A comprehensive juvenile justice system further requires the

establishment of specialized units within the Police, the
judiciary, the court system, the prosecutor’s office, as well as
specialized defenders or other representatives who provide
legal or other appropriate assistance to the child”.21
Beijing Rule 12 recognizes the need for special instruction and training for the
police involved in juvenile justice system. Beijing Rule 22 emphasizes the need
for professional education, in-service training, refresher courses and other
appropriate modes of instruction to establish and maintain the necessary
professional competence of all personnel dealing with juvenile cases.

3.5 Diversion and Alternative Sentencing

Diversion is a process of removing children in conflict with the law from the formal
criminal justice processes. Usually this means that “the traditional justice process is
suspended or terminated, provided that the juvenile adheres to specific conditions
and/or alternative services, similar to conditions for court-ordered probation”.22

CRC Article 40(3) obliges the states parties:

“To promote measures for dealing with children alleged as, accused
of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law without resorting
to judicial proceedings, whenever appropriate and desirable.”
Beijing Rule 11(1) provides further guidance on diversion stating that “consideration
shall be given, wherever appropriate, to dealing with juvenile offenders without
resorting to formal trial by the competent authority”. Rule 11(2) further provides

21 Supra note 18, p. 24.

22 JENSEN, E.L. AND J. JEPSE(eds), JUVENILE LAW VIALATORS, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW JUVENILE JSUTICE SYSTEMS 101 (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2006).
146 NJA Law Journal - 2013

that “the agencies dealing with juvenile cases shall be empowered to

dispose of such cases, at their discretion, without recourse to formal
hearings, in accordance with the legal system and also in accordance
with the principles contained in these Rules”.
According to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, state authorities can
generally use two kinds of intervention dealing with children: measures without
resorting to formal judicial proceedings and measures resorting to formal judicial
proceedings23. The Committee further emphasized the need of measures for
dealing with the child in conflict with the law other than judicial proceedings and
ensuring that the rights of the child will be fully respected and protected. 24
As explained above, the CRC provides that deprivation of liberty should be used only
as a measure of last resort for the shortest appropriate period (article 37(b)). After a
fair and just trial a decision is made regarding the measures which should be imposed
on the child found guilty of the alleged offence. The laws must provide the competent
authority, with a wide variety of possible alternatives to institutional care and
deprivation of liberty.25 Article 40(4) of the CRC obliges state parties to make available
a variety of dispositions, such as care, guidance and supervision orders; counseling;
probation; foster care; education and vocational training programs and other
alternatives to institutional care to ensure that children are dealt with in a manner
appropriate to their well-being and proportionate both to their circumstances and the
offence. Beijing Rule 18(1) recommends making available a large variety of
disposition measures which include care, guidance and supervision orders, probation,
community service orders, financial penalties, compensation and restitution,
intermediate treatment and other treatment orders, orders to participate in group
counseling and similar activities.

3.6 Re-integration and Rehabilitation Policy

One of the most important goals of the CRC is to promote the full and
harmonious development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and
physical abilities (preamble, articles 6 and 29). CRC Article 40(1) provides
that the state parties should treat the child in conflict with the law:
“...in a manner consistent with the promotion of the dignity and
worth, which reinforces the child’s respect for the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the
child’s age and the desirability of promoting the child’s reintegration
and the child’s assuming a constructive role in society. ”

23 Supra note 18, p. 8.

24 Id, p. 9.
25 Id, p. 20.
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................147

Beijing Rule 24 emphasizes the need of providing juveniles, at all stages of the
proceedings, with necessary assistance such as lodging, educational or
vocational training, employment or any other assistance, helpful and practical, in
order to facilitate the rehabilitative process. The objectives of the training and
treatment of juveniles in the institutions should be to provide care, protection,
education and vocational skills, with a view to assisting them to assume socially
constructive and productive roles in society. The juveniles in the institution should
be provided with care, protection and all necessary assistance - social,
educational, vocational, psychological medical and physical that they may require
because of their age, sex, and personality and in the interest of their wholesome
development. In order to properly reintegrate juveniles in their society, efforts
shall be made to provide semi-institutional arrangements, such as half-way
houses, educational homes, day-time training centers and other such appropriate
arrangements (Beijing Rules 26(1) and (3), 29(1)).

4. The Juvenile Justice System of Nepal: In the Context of Legal

System in Nepal
The administration of justice in Nepal has had a close relation with the religious belief
and realities of the Hindu civilization. Hindu philosophy provides importance to the
principles of justice and morality. “The basic concept of Hindu theology, commonly
known as dharma, is a combination of law, justice, morality and rational principles”. 26
The Promulgation of the legal code was a common practice of law-making in Nepal.
The promulgation of the National Code (Muluki Ain) in 1853 was one of the landmarks
in the Nepali legal system. The Muluki Ain was a codification of all the laws in the
country: civil, criminal, religious, customary and it also had provisions dealing with
succession to the throne, state affairs and the armed forces.27

Prior to 1951, Nepal’s legal system was close to an ‘inquisitorial system’ which
meant that the court exercised the role of both an investigator and an adjudicator.
The courts had power to discover evidence and to conduct judicial inquiry before
passing the sentence. After the popular movement in 1951, an independent
judiciary was established and an adversarial system of justice was introduced.
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1969 accepted the ‘adversarial
approach’ meaning that the investigating power of the court was taken away.
Only the power of adjudication was vested with the judiciary. The promulgation of
the State Cases Act 1961 was a significant development towards practicing the
adversarial justice system in Nepal. This Act separated the investigation and
prosecution from the adjudicating power vested in the judiciary. The courts
remained as independent case-hearing authorities and investigation and
prosecution power was vested in the Police and Government Attorney.
26 BISHAL KHANAL, REGENERATION OF NEPALESE LAW 1 (Kathmandu: Bhrikuti Academic Publication 2000).
27 JAGADISH CHANDRA REGMI, NEPALKO BAIDHANIK PARAMPARA I, 2 (Kathmandu, Araniko Publishers 1979).
148 NJA Law Journal - 2013

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 adopted the concept of an

independent and competent system of justice, together with the concept of the rule of
law a democratic system was established (Preamble of the Constitution 1990). As
explained earlier, after the popular movement in 2006 a Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) was signed between the Government of Nepal and then Maoist
rebels. Then the Interim Constitution 2007 was promulgated. Article 24 of the interim
Constitution provides the following relevant fundamental rights:

“Article 24. Rights Regarding Justice:

(1) No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody
without being informed of the ground for such arrest.
(2) The person who is arrested shall have the right to consult a legal
practitioner of his/her choice at the time of the arrest. The consultation
made by such a person with the legal practitioner and the advice
given thereon shall remain confidential, and such a person shall not
be denied the right to be defended through his/her legal practitioner.
(3) Every person who is arrested shall be produced before a judicial authority
within a period of twenty-four hours after such arrest, excluding the time
necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to such authority, and
no such a person shall be detained in custody beyond the said period
except on the order of such authority. Nothing in clauses (2) and (3) shall
apply to preventive detention or to a citizen of an enemy state.
(4) No person shall be punished for an act which was not punishable
by law when the act was committed, nor shall any person be
subjected to a punishment greater than that prescribed by the law
in force at the time of the commission of the offence.
(5) No person accused of any offence shall be assumed as an
offender until proved guilty.
(6) No person shall be prosecuted or punished for the same
offence in a court of law more than once.
(7) No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be
a witness against oneself.
(8) Every person shall have the right to be informed about the
proceedings of the trial conducted against him/her.
(9) Every person shall be entitled to a fair trial by a competent
court or judicial authority.
(10) The indigent person shall have the right to free legal aid in
accordance with law.”
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................149

Article 100 of the Interim Constitution provides all the powers relating to justice to the
courts and the courts use this power as per the Constitution, laws and recognized
principles of justice. Article 101 of the Constitution established three tiers of courts
namely the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court and the District Courts in the country.

4.1 Juvenile Justice System in Nepal: General Background

As a state party to the CRC Nepal has the obligation to formulate laws and
policies for the implementation of the CRC. For the purpose of making legal
arrangements to “protect the rights and interests of the children”, aiming at
ensuring their physical, mental and intellectual development, the Children Act
1992 was formulated (preamble of the Act).

The Children’s Act 1992 is a special Act promulgated with the declared objective of
the well-being of children. Before its enactment, there was no separate law dealing
with children in conflict with the law. The chapter on punishment (Danda Sajaya ko
Mahal) of the National Code (Muluki Ain) only had a provision to lessen the
punishment for a child under the age of 16. But, the punishment and court
proceedings were similar to those of adult offenders (PPR Nepal 2007: 24).28

For the first time in Nepal, the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007
recognized the rights of the child as fundamental rights. Article 22 of
the Interim Constitution provides:

“Article 22.Right of the Child:

(1) Every child shall have the right to his/her own identity and name.
(2) Every child shall have the right to get nurtured, basic
health and social security.
(3) Every child shall have the right against physical, mental or any
other form of exploitation. Any such an act of exploitation shall
be punishable by law and the child so treated shall be
compensated in a manner as determined by law.
(4) Helpless, orphan, mentally retarded, conflict victims,
displaced, vulnerable and street children shall have the right to
get special privileges from the State to their secured future.
(5) No minor shall be employed in factories, mines or in any other such
hazardous work or shall be used in army, police or in conflicts.
There is still no separate Act regarding juvenile justice in Nepal. The State Cases
Act, 1992 and the Children’s Act 1992 thus provide the national framework for

28 PPR Nepal, REHABILITATION REINTEGRATION DENIED? A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF

JUVENILE SYSTEM IN NEPAL 24 (Kathandu, PPR NEPAL 2007).
150 NJA Law Journal - 2013

the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice Procedures Rules 2007
provides detailed procedures for the handling of the cases of the child. The
Children’s Act provides for constitution of a Central ‘Children Welfare Board’
(CCWB) (Section 32). The CCWB has the overall responsibility to ensure
realization of the rights of the children of Nepal by the state collaborating with
civil society as well as national and international development organizations.
It works towards protection of children’s rights as per the CRC standard. The
CCWB has overall responsibility to look after children’s issues29.
The CCWB has 21 members in its Board. The Chair of the Board is Minister of
Women, Children and Social Welfare. Other members of the Board are Secretaries of
various government ministries and representatives from the Teacher’s Union, NGOs,
Pediatrician, Teachers, Child Rights Activists and other reputed personalities (section
32, the Children’s Act). In 2007 government of Nepal promulgated Juvenile Justice
Procedure Rules to provide special court procedures for the cases of children in
conflict with the law. The Rules established a Juvenile Justice Coordination
Committee (JJCC) under the chairmanship of a Supreme Court Judge of Nepal in
order to coordinate with the stakeholders of Juvenile Justice in national level.

The Nepali Judiciary has played a significant role for the protection of the rights of
children in conflict with the law. The Supreme Court of Nepal issued an order of
habeas corpus and directed the government authorities to keep the petitioner (a 14
year old child) in the juvenile reform home instead of sending him in prison for
remand purposes (Bablu Godia vs. Banke District Court , Writ no. 3390 of 2000). The
Supreme Court, citing ICCPR article 10(3) and CRC article 37(a), issued an order in
the name of prison authorities not to keep a minor in custody or prison together with
adult prisoners and to shift the petitioner (a convicted child) who was kept in a prison
with adults to the Juvenile Reform Home (Keshav Khadka vs. Dhanakuta District
Court, Writ no. 3685 of 2000). In another case, the SC directed the prison authority to
release the petitioner (a child) as she was not sent to a reform home. (Sarita Tamang
vs. Illam District Court, Writ no. 21 of 2001). In 2005 the SC issued a Directive Order
to the Nepali Government to establish a juvenile bench in each of the 75 districts to
hear the cases of children (Santosh Kumar Mahato vs. the Cabinet, writ no 2004).30
The above mentioned decisions shows that the court had a positive attitude towards
the reform of the juvenile justice system in Nepal.

In the following section, the Nepali juvenile justice system – consisting of law,
policy and practices – is assessed against the key requirements of the CRC,
other UN guidelines and the principle of the best interests of the child.

29 For detail see http://www.ccwb.gov.np (accessed 20 March 2008).

30 Supra note 17, p. 155, Supra note 28, pp. 35-36.
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................151

4.2 Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR)

Article 1 of the CRC defines children as ‘human being below the age of eighteen
years’ but the Children’s Act 1992 defines a minor as a child that has not yet reached
the age of 16 (section 2(a)) meaning that the age of majority is 16 years old. The
CRC and the Act stipulate special procedures and protections for children in conflict
with the law. Due to the Children’s Act definition, children between the ages 16 and 18
are not considered as minors but as adults. Accordingly, the regular adult criminal
justice procedures apply to them. The Nepali definition of children falls under the
exception clause of article 1 of the CRC. Though legally valid, it deprives children
between 16 to 18 years from the rights protection provided for under the CRC and
most other international rules, guidelines and national laws.

The Children’s Act provides that the MACR in Nepal is 10 years (section 11). Section
11(1) of the Children’s Act provides that if a child who is below the age of 10 years
commits an offence (s)he shall not be liable for any punishment. If a child above 10
years but below 14 years commits an offence which is punishable with a fine (s)he
shall be admonished and convinced. If the offence according to law is punishable with
an imprisonment, the child between 10 to 14 years shall be punished with no longer
than 6 months imprisonment, depending on the offence committed (Section 11(2)).
The Children’s Act further provides that if a child above 14 years and below 16 years
commits a crime (s)he shall be punished with half of the punishment that an offender
of the age of majority gets for the same offence (Section 11(3)).

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly expressed concern
over the MACR set by Nepal. It suggests increasing the MACR standard to
comply with the international standards (CRC 1996: para.38, CRC 2005: 24).
Even after the repeated concerns of the Committee, the Government of Nepal,
so far, has not taken any step to raise the MACR as per international standards.

The above discussion shows that due to weaknesses in defining ‘child’ and too low a
MACR, many children between the ages of 16 to 18 are not able to enjoy the rights,
privileges and protection of national and international child rights instruments
including the CRC. While setting of MACR of 10 years is not illegal per se, it goes
against the spirit of the CRC, the views expressed by the Committee on the Rights of
the Child (CRC 2007) and the principle of the best interests of the child.

4.3 Conditions for Arrest and Detention

According to the State Cases Act 1992, the Police have the power to investigate a
case along with government prosecutors and to file a charge-sheet to the concerned
case-hearing authority. If someone knows that a crime was committed, is being
committed or going to be committed, (s)he should report to the nearest police office
(Section 7(1)). The State Cases Act 1992 also provides broad powers to the Police
152 NJA Law Journal - 2013

to arrest crime suspects, including children, in many criminal cases.

The police are responsible for the collection and preservation of
evidence at the place of the crime and investigate the case.
The Children’s Act provides some important safeguards for children who
have been subjected to arrest. Section 7 prohibits torture or cruel treatment
of the child and the Police may not use handcuffs and fetters while arresting
a child. A child should not be kept together with adults in prison or in solitary
confinement (Section 15). Rule 4 of the Juvenile Justice Procedure Rules,
2007 provides the following as regards arrest and detention of a child:
 While investigating children’s case the Police should wear
plain clothes, not a uniform,
 Before arresting a child the police should show their identity
card and mention the cause of arrest,
 At the time of arrest the child should be informed about his/her
constitutional and legal rights,
 If possible, both the parents of the child and if not possible at least one of them or
his/her guardian, should be informed about the alleged offence of the child,
 The physical and mental health of the child should be checked
immediately in a nearby government hospital or by a doctor, and
 While conducting a Sarjamin31 if possible both the parents, or if
not possible one of them or his/her guardian, should be present.
Section 42 of the Children’s Act 1992 provides that a child who is detained during
investigations prior to trial and during case proceedings must be kept in the Juvenile
Reform Home. Section 50 of the Act provides discretionary power to the court to allow
for the accused child to be placed in the custody of parents, relatives, guardian or any
social organization engaged in the protection of the rights and interests of the child.
This is to ensure appropriate action to meet the special needs of the child, but always
subject to the condition that these persons will make sure that the juvenile will be
presented before the court on the date of hearing.
In practice, the safeguards provided by the laws and rules are not fully respected and
the investigation system is not a child friendly. It was reported that in Rukum district, a
13-year-old boy was arrested on the charge of being a Maoist rebel and then was
held for 6 months with 54 adults in a cell having the capacity of 15 persons. 32 In
Sindhupalchok district school students including Durga Sapkota of 9

31 Sarjamin is a Nepali term which denotes the process of finding facts and evidence of a case from where the
crime was committed. Generally, the police goes to the place of crime scene once they were reported about the
crime and ask people who were at or around the place of crime scene for information about the crime.
32 Yubraj Sangraula,, THE ROLES OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
IN NEPAL: NEED OF DICERSION FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 4,5 [electronic version 2004].
http://www.ksl.edu. np/legal titlecontect .asp?id=35&thread=Reading %.20Resources. (accessed 10 July 2008)
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................153

years, Uddhav of 10 years, Khil Nepal of 11 years, Samunder of 15 years, Gopal

of 9 years and Bir Bahadur of 13 years old children were arrested and detained
by the Police along with adults in a case of murder of a Policeman. During their
detention they were tortured and inhumanely treated in police custody. In 2012 a
15 year boy was arrested by Police from outskirt of Kathmandu and charged on
public offence and CDO released the boy on bail but the Police did not released
boy and put him in custody in Hanuman Dhoka and charged on theft and
submitted in the Kathmandu District Court after 40 days of detention. This is an
extreme case of illegal detention of a juvenile and legal process is continued to
take appropriate action against the wrongdoer. 33
PPR Nepal survey in 2011 shows that the interviews held with children showed
that, 86% children did not get an arrest warrant during arrest. In Nepal not only
for children but also for adults an arrest warrant should be served before his/her
arrest. Likewise, the survey showed that 66 percent children were detained with
adults and only 34 percent were detained separate from adult detainees. In most
of the cases the cause of detaining together was cited as there was no separate
space for detaining children separately.

Situation of Arrest Warrant during Arrest

Status Percent
Did not get arrest warrant 86
Did get arrest warrant 14
Total 100
Interviews with children in conflict with the law in Nepal, October, 2011

Detained Separately or with Adults

Status Percent
Detained with adults 66
Detained separately 34
Total 100
Interviews with children in conflict with the law in Nepal, October, 2011

A baseline Survey on Juvenile Justice System reveals that among arrested

juveniles 30 % were detained in the dark (night), 30% were arrested in the
morning and remainin 40% were arrested in the day time. Likewise, it was
found that 55% parents of the chldren arrested were not given information
during their arrest while 45% of the parresnts were informed. 34
Contrary to the constitutional gurantee against torture and clear legal provisions it is
revealed that 1 in 4 arrested juveniles were tortured by the police, in comparison

33 Case of Mr. X Kumar, case file accessed at PPR Nepal on October 8.

34 KSL and CELRRD, Baseline Survey on Juvenile Justice System in Nepal, 2010, pp. 68-69.
154 NJA Law Journal - 2013

to 1 in 6 adults. The widespread practice of arbitrary detention, torture

and other ill-treatment of juveniles in custody is a major concern. It is
also found that juveniles are held for long periods in pre-trial detention
in often inadequate conditions, in clear breach of national legislation,
international human rights standards and Supreme Court rulings.

This shows that there is a big gap between Nepal’s international obligations
and commitments regarding juvenile justice and the national policy, law and
their implementation in the arrest and detention phase in Nepal.

4.4 Juvenile Courts and Trial Procedures

Section 55 of the Children’s Act requires that a juvenile be tried in a juvenile court
or by a juvenile bench and that the court proceedings protect the privacy of the
juvenile by only allowing the presence of the legal representative, the parents
and relatives of the juvenile or the legal guardian as well as any other social
representative, considering the best interests of the child.
Since a juvenile court has not yet been formed in Nepal, some of the cases of
children are being dealt with by the juvenile benches. The majority of cases are being
dealt with by the regular courts. Section 55(5) of the Children’s Act provides for the
incorporation of social workers, child specialists or child psychologists along with the
district judge in a juvenile bench. Similarly, the presence of a legal practitioner to
defend the juvenile is required during case proceedings. The government shall
appoint a lawyer if the juvenile is not represented (section 19, Children’s Act). The
court hearing starts after the Government Attorney decides that the case should
proceed and files the charge-sheet in the court. The court then decides whether to
grant bail or to send the child to a Juvenile Reform Home during the court
proceedings on the factual basis of the case and the judge should verify the age of
the child if the charge-sheet differs from the statement of the child.35
According to section 42 of the Children’s Act, juveniles who are imprisoned for
investigation or adjudication or imprisoned as a punishment should be detained in a
Juvenile Reform Home instead of normal custody or prison. However, section 50 also
provides for other dispositions such as suspending the sentence of imprisonment and
placing the juvenile under the custody of family, a guardian or social organization. If
during this period the juvenile commits further offences, the judge can add further
punishment and enact the previous punishment. If the juvenile refrains from crime,
the suspension period will amount to the completion of the punishment.
In regard to cases of children in conflict with the law, the District Court Regulation
1996 provides that they shall always be conducted by closed hearings (Rule 46(1).

35 KSL, JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NEPAL: A GLANCE VIEW OF INTERNATIONAL

STANDARDS 12 (Kathmandu School of Law, Bhaktapur 2003).
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................155

For a closed hearing, legal professionals, a government lawyer, child

specialists, the suspect, victims, the guardians of the juvenile and police, if
permitted by court, as well as court personnel may be present (Rule 46(b 2)).
The documents of closed hearings shall not be disclosed to anyone, except
the plaintiff, the defendant and the victim(s). Facts of the closed hearing shall
not be published in any news media (Rule 46(b 3 and 4)).
The Government of Nepal has promulgated Juvenile Justice (Procedure) Rules, 2007
(the 2007 Rules) under the power conferred by Section 58 of the Children’s Act. The
tasks of adjudication, disposition and determining punishment are performed by the
same legal body, the juvenile court. Special procedures are required to be followed in
cases where juveniles are either as plaintiffs or defendants. Any case involving
juveniles shall get priority for hearing and deciding. The 2007 Rules provides for a
separate police unit or police personnel to conduct the investigation of a case of a
child in conflict with the law (Rule 3). In each district a juvenile bench shall be formed.
In the bench, there will be a District Judge, a social worker and a child specialist or a
child psychologist (Rule 6). The court should provide a copy of the charge-sheet and
other related documents to the parents or guardian of the juvenile immediately. If they
refuse to take the documents it can be handed over to the lawyer of the child (Rule 7).
The 2007 Rules provides that the following procedures should be followed during the
hearing of the cases of children:

 The hearing in the juvenile court or juvenile bench should be

conducted in a child friendly environment (Rule 12(1)).
 The language used in the hearing process should be clear and
understandable for the child, taking into consideration his or
her age, physical and mental state (Rule 12(2)).
 The examination process may take place in a separate room
in-camera for the protection of the juvenile (Rule 12(3)).
 While examining the child, his/her parents, guardian or lawyer
can stay with the child (Rule 12(5)).
 The juvenile bench or juvenile court should decide the case
within 120 days from the date of filing of the case (Rule 16).
 In the decision on the child’s case the court should include a summary of
the charge-sheet, the evidence, proof of the offence, the opinion of the
child expert, and arguments of the lawyer. Also, the reasoning of the
decision as well as an estimation of the causes and the measures of
reformation of the juvenile must be included (Rule 17).
 A copy of the decision shall be provided to the juvenile without
charging any cost (Rule 19).
156 NJA Law Journal - 2013

Determining age of children is crucial but the complications are there in many
cases in Nepal. Since the age determines whether the suspect is a child or an
adult, which in turn determines the criminal responsibility of the suspect and the
nature of procedures to be followed, the suspect may try to forge or decrease his
or her actual age in order to get privileges and protection as a child. On the other
hand, the other side will often intend to establish the age of the suspect as highly
as possible to follow the normal process in the proceedings. 36
Section 3(2) of Children’s Act 1992 states that the age of the suspect shall be
determined by a registered medical doctor. The 2007 Rules provides that the age
of the child shall be determined through the date of birth established according to
the birth certificate issued at a hospital (Rule 15(a)). In case the certificate is not
available, the date of birth may be established according to the certificate issued
by the office of the local registrar. In case such a certificate is also not available,
the date of birth may be established by the character certificate issued by the
school of attendance. In case such certificate is not available either, the age shall
be certified by a government hospital (Rule 15(b, c and d)).The Committee on the
Rights of Child has repeatedly raised its concern about the “lack of a proper
official system of age verification in place” in Nepal.37
The Public Offence and Punishment Act, 1970 provides for the District Administration
Office (DAO), a quasi-judicial body, with the power to conduct investigation of a case,
try it and impose sanctions including imprisonment in relation to the offence under the
Act. Basically, DAO is an administrative body and it looks after the administration and
maintenance of peace and security in the district. A baseline survey conducted by
Kathmandu School of Law revealed that during five years period between 1998 and
2002, 1522 cases involving children were recorded in Kathmandu. Out of these 1522
cases, 1276 cases were tried by the DAO and the remaining ones went to court. 38
The DAO is basically a government administrative body. It does not have formal
justice delivery settings. Therefore, the decisions are taken without following the
principles, due process of law and the recognised principles of justice. 39 The
Committee on the Rights of Child has also raised this issue and stated that it ‘is
alarmed that children are often brought to trial without any proper investigation’ and
that a large proportion of juvenile cases are dealt with by the District Administration
Offices which are quasi-judicial body.40 Recently, the Supreme of Court of Nepal has
directed Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal Government to send a formal letter

36 Supra note 28, P. 34.

37 CRC, CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRC FOR NEPAL'S SECOND AND
THIRD COMBINED REPORT 24 (Publication no CRC/C/15/ Add.261). (Retrieved 13 June
2008: http://www.crin.org/ resources/find.asp) (accessed 10 July 2008).
38 Supra note 35, p. 13.
39 Supra note 4, p. 86.
40 Supra note 37, p. 24
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................157

to the CDO to send all the juvenile cases (not including adult) in proceeding to
the concerned District Court for the remaining proceedings and the Court has
spelt out that the CDO does not have authority to hear the cases of juveniles 41.
Section 55(2) of the Children’s Act provides that the Juvenile Court shall not have
jurisdiction to hear and decide the case of a child in conflict with the law when the
child has been involved in the case along with a person who has attained the age
of majority. It seems, this provision curtails the rights of a child enshrined in
international and national instruments including the CRC and the Children’s Act
which provide special care, protection and privileges such as, the children in
conflict with the law to be heard with special protection in Juvenile Courts. Even if
a minor has allegedly committed a crime with adults (s)he is still a child with
equal rights as other children and should be treated as a child. Just an allegation
or even conviction with an adult cannot be a valid reason for treating him/her as
an adult. Thus this provision is discriminatory against the minor and against the
principle of the best interests of the child.

Among the children interviewed, contrary to the legal provision of

compulsory legal assistance during the proceedings of the case, 17
percent of them did not get any lawyer’s assistance and 83 percent
got the service of lawyers during the court proceedings.42
From the above discussion it it clear that Nepal has still a long way to
go in order to fill the gaps with its international obligations in the
implementation of comprehensive juvenile justice system.

4.5 Specialized Institutions for Juvenile Justice

As stated above, a positive step has been taken towards establishing specialized
institutions (Juvenile Bench, Juvenile Reform Home) for the juvenile justice system.
The Children’s Act provides for the establishment of specialized juvenile courts but
this has not yet happened, even 18 years after the promulgation of the Act.

Section 55(3) of the Children’s Act provides that the concerned district court shall
have powers to hear and decide the case of a child in conflict with the law until a
juvenile court is established. Section 55(4) of the Act provides that there shall be a
children’s bench in each District Court for the purpose of section 55(3) of the Act.
Section 55(5) of the Children’s Act provides that while constituting the Children’s
bench, a Judge, a social worker, a child specialist or a child psychologist should be
included in order to try cases of children in conflict with the law. As per this provision,
the government of Nepal has established 26 Juvenile Benches in 26 District Courts.

41 Saroj Rai vs Government of Nepal, Writ No. WH-0025 of the yar year 2066.
42 KSL & CeLRRD, BASELINE STUDY ON JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NEPAL 81 (Kathmandu 2010).
158 NJA Law Journal - 2013

Rule 3 of the Juvenile Justice Procedure Rules 2007 provides that:

“In order to investigate the cases of children in every police

station a Juvenile Unit shall be established comprising
qualified police personnel. Police Headquarters can appoint
police officers for the purpose before establishing such Units.”

But the provision is yet to be implemented in the remaining districts.

A very few lawyers are specialized in cases of children. Likewise, very little
numbers of Government Attorneys have been trained on juvenile justice and
there is no juvenile section in the Government Attorney’s Office for handling the
cases of children. The National Judicial Academy (NJA), an institute established
by an Act of Parliament for training and research in need of Nepal judiciary, is
working for the capacity development of stakeholders on juvenile justice. So far,
the NJA has provided training on juvenile justice to 22 Appellate Court Judges,
almost all District Court Judges (185), 111 Judicial Officers, 81 Government
Attorneys 94 private lawyers, 49 police officers and 166 junior judicial staffs. 43

4.6 Diversion and Alternative Sentencing

In Nepal, there is no clear law for diversion but in practice many petty cases are being
handled locally without involvement of the government and judicial system.44 Most of
the cases of children in conflict with the law are either unreported or resolved in
community level. Some of the community practices for the resolution of local cases
are appropriate but some of these practices violate the rights of the child. For
example, in an incident which this author witnessed in his childhood, about twenty five
years back in a small village in western Nepal, a 13 years boy (a domestic servant of
weak economic background) was accused of theft of two cocks from a house close to
him. He denied the charge of theft. Then a Panchayat45 was organised and the boy
was asked to accept the charge but he denied it. Then his hand and legs were tied
and randomly beaten more than 3 hours by villagers and he was compelled to accept
the charge. Then the village elite called Mukhiya announced that the boy should pay
Nepali Rupees 500 to the person who lost the cocks. When I remember this event I
immediately remember the cry of the boy while his legs and hands were tied and
beaten by the villagers. Clearly, this was a violation of child rights and cruel, inhuman
and degrading behavior against the child.

Some NGOs such as CVICT Nepal, Pro Public, CeLRRD, and IGD are conducting

43 NJA Annual Reports (2005/06 - 2011/12).

44 Supra note 4, p.88.
45 Panchayati refers to a traditional form of Alternative Dispute Resolution at local level. All
villagers gather in a common place to discuss and resolve a dispute locally. It is still widely
used in villages in Nepal to settle petty cases.
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................159

community mediation program in various parts of country in which disputes at

the local level are being solved by local people through mediation. The local
people solve cases of adults as well as the offences committed by children. 46
Section 50 of the Children’s Act provides a limited space to the Judge while detaining
and sentencing the child. If the Judge thinks that it is not appropriate to detain a child
for trial by considering his/her physical condition, age, circumstances under which the
offence was committed or the condition of the detention place, the Judge may order
to hand over the child to his/her parents, relatives or guardian or any social
organization working in the field of protection of the rights and interests of children or
a Juvenile Reform Home, on the condition of presenting the child to the court as and
when required (Section 50 (1)).

Likewise, Section 50 (2) of the Children’s Act provides that if the judge thinks that
it is not appropriate to send a child to prison after conviction, considering the
child’s physical condition, age, circumstances under which the offence was
committed and times of commission of offences by the child, the judge may
suspend the sentence for the time being, or prescribe keeping the child in a Child
Rehabilitation Home or in the guardianship of a person or organization. If the
child is again convicted for the same or another offence the Judge may order to
imprison the child adding the earlier sentence of imprisonment.

There are some examples of cases where judges have invoked the provision of
suspending the sentence. In HMG vs. Mahesh Wagle, Nawalparashi District
Court, a three month sentence was suspended. In HMG vs. Govinda Prasad
Pangeni, the Nawalparasi District Court suspended three month imprisonment in
a murder case. In HMG vs. Shiva Lal Choudhary, Kailali District Court suspended
three year imprisonment. However, none of these cases was it clear from the
judgments which facts were considered for suspending the sentences. 47

In a survey it was found that all the 22 judges who participated in the survey
did not see any possibility of diversion in the existing situation, mainly due to
the lack of legal provisions and knowledge. And, the majority of the police
officers in the survey were not in favor of diversion. 48
As per the above discussion it is clear that there is no legal provision for the diversion
of cases of children but most of the stakeholders think that diversionary programs
should be introduced in the Nepali juvenile justice system. We can see that Nepal, as
a state party to the CRC, has to take initiatives to fulfill the obligation under

46 CVICT Nepal, ACCESS TO JUSTICE THROUGH COMMUNITY MEDAITION: ANALYSIS

OF CASES 22-25 (Centre for Victims of Torture, Kathmandu 2004).
47 Supra note 17, p. 162.
48 Id, p. 180.
160 NJA Law Journal - 2013

Article 40(3) which requires the state party to establish “appropriate and desirable
measures for dealing with such children without resorting to judicial proceedings...”

4.7 Re-integration and Rehabilitation Policy

There is neither specific legal provision nor policy in Nepal regarding the re-
integration and rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law. Section 42(1) of the
Children’s Act provides that the government should establish Juvenile Reform Homes
as required. As per the Children’s Act, children under investigation or awaiting
decision and children convicted by a case hearing authority should be kept in the
Reform Homes (section 42(2)). In the present system the Reform Home for children is
considered as an alternative procedure under the formal criminal justice
administration rather than a rehabilitation home for children (PPR Nepal 2007: 30).49

Presently, there are only two Juvenile Reform homes in the country
which are located in Kathmandu valley and in Pokhara.
In Nepal, there is no governmental body established for the rehabilitation and
reintegration of children who have come in conflict with the law. Some NGOs, such as
CWIN and CWISH, which are mainly working for the promotion and protection of child
rights in general, have some programs for the rehabilitation and reintegration of these
children. For example, for more than 13 years CWIN has been running child
development and socialization and rehabilitation programs and it has operated child
socialization centers in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

A research on the situation of rehabilitation and reintegration of children in

conflict with the law has shown that, among the respondents, 68% of the children
in conflict with the law who had been released from the Juvenile Reform Home
have not reintegrated into their previous social environment; 60% of them said
that they have not engaged in meaningful work; 72% of these children expressed
their views that they have felt discrimination from society on the ground that they
have committed a crime; 76% of them have felt that they are not invited to social
and religious functions because of their past life.50

Stressing the need for rehabilitation and reintegration policy, one of

the Government Attorneys interviewed observed that:
“I have seen many children during my work who came into conflict with law
who were not able to return to normal social life. They discontinued their
education, some of them ran away from home and most of them repeatedly
come into conflict with the law. Children are the future of our country
therefore the state should take immediate action to formulate and

49 Supra note 28, p. 30.

50 Id, pp. 63-64.
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................161

implement an effective rehabilitation and reintegration policy

and plan for the child in conflict with the law”.
The comment made by the Government Attorney well represents the situation of
rehabilitation and reintegration of the child in conflict with the law in Nepal.

5. The Principle of the Best Interests of the Child

in the Nepali Juvenile Justice System
There was not a single specific legal provision protecting the rights and interests of
the child in Nepal before the enactment of the Children’s Act 1992. The Act is referred
to as “relating to protecting the rights and interests of children’’. According to the
Preamble of the Act: “It is expedient to make timely legal provisions in order to protect
the rights and interests of children for the physical, mental and intellectual
development of children”. This shows that one of the overall goals of promulgating the
Children’s Act was to protect the ‘interests’ of children.

As a state party to the CRC Nepal is under the obligation of protecting, fulfilling
and respecting the rights of the child. This extends to the overarching principle of
the best interests of the child in every action, including juvenile justice. As per
Section 9(2) of the Nepal Treaty Act, the CRC overrides contradicting national
law. Neither the Children’s Act nor the Juvenile Justice Procedure Rules 2007
use the term ''the best interests of the child” but in essence we can find
provisions which serve the purpose of the best interests of the child including the
provisions of the Children’s Act on torture and cruel treatment (Section 7), up to
the 16 years of age lessened criminal responsibility (Section 11), ban on rigorous
punishment (Section 15), compulsory lawyer’s representation (Section 19),
establishment of juvenile reform homes (Section 42), closed hearing of children’s
cases (Section 49), pending punishment and proceedings of the case can be
done without detaining a child on the discretion of a judge (Section 50), and on
special courts or benches for hearing children’s case (Section 55).

Likewise, the Juvenile Justice Procedure Rules 2007 provide special provisions
for the handling of cases of juveniles to serve the best interests of the child
(though this is not literally expressed) such as establishment of juvenile cells in
the Police station (Rule 3), special procedures for investigation of children’s case
(Rule 4), special proceedings for case hearing (Rule 12), and that children’s
cases should be decided within 120 days of filing (Rule 16). But in the practice it
is found that only 12.5 % cases are being decided on this prescribed timeframe
remaining 87.5% cases are being decided after the prescribed time frame. The
study revealed that 5% cases are being decided after 2 years. 51

51 CCWB, STUDY REPORT ON THE SITUATION OF CASES HANDLED BY JUVENILE

BENCHES 72 (Pulchok, Lalitpur, 2012)
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These are the legal provisions only. The question arises whether these provisions are
adequate to serve the best interests of the child? The importance of the laws and
policies lies in their implementation and the question arises whether these legal
provisions are implemented properly. As we have discussed earlier, there are many
gaps in the Nepali juvenile justice laws and policies. These include: too low a MACR,
as currently a child is defined as a minor below the age of 16 rather than not below
the age of 18 as the spirit of the CRC would require; lack of a special juvenile justice
system in the country but children’s cases still considered as part of the general
criminal justice system; lack of a comprehensive juvenile justice policy in the country;
lack of a diversionary system and alternative sentencing etc. The Government of
Nepal has clearly not provided adequate attention to these issues.

As regards implementation of national law and policies there are also many
weaknesses. For example, even after many years after the promulgation of the
Children’s Act there is not any Juvenile Court, most of the children are detained with
adults, often handcuffed, tortured or abused during or after their arrest. 52 There is no
Juvenile Police; actors of the juvenile justice system are either not or inadequately
trained. There are no adequate Juvenile Reform Homes and most of the children in
conflict with the law are not rehabilitated and reintegrated in the society.

From the above discussion we can see that the gaps between international
standards and the Nepali system are big. The gaps between Nepali law and
policy and their implementation are also big. If we compare the international
standards with the current practice in Nepal, then the gap becomes ‘very big’. In
conclusion, the Government of Nepal has taken some steps in promulgating law
and rules to make the juvenile justice system serve the best interests of the child,
but it needs to do much more in order to achieve proper implementation of these
laws and rules. More steps have to be taken to make the Nepali juvenile justice
system serve the best interests of the child.

6. Conclusion and Recommendations

The CRC and the UN Resolutions and Declarations such as the Beijing
Rules, the Riyadh Guidelines and the JDLs provide for an international
framework and standards for the juvenile justice system. Nepal has ratified
CRC and shown commitment to these instruments therefore, it is under the
‘obligation’ of establishing a comprehensive and separate juvenile justice
system to serve ‘child rights’ and ‘the best interests of the child’.

In Nepal, the juvenile justice system was long considered as part of the criminal
justice system. Reforms of the juvenile justice system started after the restoration of
multiparty democracy in 1990. The concept of a separate juvenile justice system
52 Supra note 28, pp. 38,68.
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................163

was further developed by the promulgation of the Children’s Act 1992. Likewise, the
promulgation of the Juvenile Justice Procedures Rules 2007 further strengthened the
juvenile justice system in Nepal. Even after these developments the juvenile justice
system in Nepal is not fully implemented, a separate and distinct juvenile justice
system which embraces the direction provided by CRC and ensures that children in
conflict with the law are treated substantially different than adults at all stages of the
proceeding and thus ensures best interests of the child.53

Currently, most of the children who come into conflict with law in Nepal end up
deprived of their liberty either in police lock-ups, prisons, or Juvenile Reform
Homes since there is no provision for diversion and alternative sentences. At all
stages of handling cases of children, the formal justice mechanism is used. But
the actor of the formal juvenile mechanisms (Police, Judges, Government
Attorneys, defense Lawyer) are not trained at all or inadequately trained.
Therefore, the handling of cases of children is often not as per their best interests
and not as per the letter and spirit of the international binding and non-binding
instruments to which Nepal has shown its commitment. The Nepali juvenile
justice system is more punitive and retributive than restorative, which is much in
contrast with the purpose of a juvenile justice system. 54 The Nepali juvenile
justice system is suffering from many gaps such as, the non-existence of a
national action plan55 for juvenile justice, diversionary and alternative sentencing
provisions, delinquency prevention and reintegration program of the child.
Likewise, the MACR is too low, the definition of children is not as per the spirit of
the CRC and lack of diversion and alternative sentencings are some other gaps.

In the last 20 years Nepal has made good efforts to establish a separate juvenile
justice system. These efforts include ratification of the CRC, promulgation of the
Children’s Act containing provisions regarding juvenile justice, promulgation of
the Juvenile Justice Procedures Rule 2007, establishment of Juvenile Justice
Coordination Committee, establishment of two Juvenile Reform Homes
(Bhaktapur and Pokhara)56 and infrastructures have been built Juvenile Benches
in 40 districts. Awareness about the need for a separate, well implemented
juvenile justice system has been raised among the stakeholders. On the other
hand, we can see the lack of strong political will to establish a comprehensive
and separate juvenile justice system as per Nepal’s international commitment.

There is a lack of specialized agencies for handling cases of children in conflict with
the law. No Juvenile Court has been established in the country as required by Section

53 Supra note 4, p. 83.

54 Supra note 28, p. 70.
55 The Juvenile Justice Coordination Committee has recently prepared and endorsed the five
year national action plan on juvenile justice.
56 Establishment of one another reform home in Biratnagar is in process.
164 NJA Law Journal - 2013

55 of the Children’s Act. There is only one Juvenile Reform Home in Kathmandu to
cover the whole of Nepal. No separate Police or Government Attorney Units for the
cases of children in conflict with the law have been established. The Nepali juvenile
justice system is, at present, not fully separated from the adult criminal justice system
and most of the proceedings are identical. Misbehavior, abuse, torture, cruel and
inhuman behavior is widespread and children are often handcuffed and detained with
adults. Majority of the children in conflict with the law feel that the attitude of judges is
not friendly towards them. Most of the children who go through the process of juvenile
justice are not able to become a ‘normal’ child again and are not rehabilitated in their
society. There are some provisions for the protection of the best interests of the child,
the implementation of those provisions are very weak.

In conclusion, we can draw that in spite of some good efforts taken by the
government of Nepal, the Nepali juvenile justice system needs significant
reforms in order to comply with the CRC framework and other international
human rights instruments. The reforms are necessary to make the Nepali
juvenile justice system in compliance with the international standards and to
serve the best interests of the child in conflict with the law.

Recommendations
As per the above discussion following are the recommendations to strengthen the
Nepali juvenile justice system:
 Reform in legislation and policy:
• Define child as per the letter and spirit of the CRC, i.e. set
the age limit at 18 years,
• Reset the MACR which should not be less than 12 years,
• Immediately formulate a child rights-based comprehensive juvenile
justice policy and plan to ensure the best interests of the child,

• Establish a proper official age verification system,

• Ensure that all the cases of children in conflict with the law
be tried by a competent judicial authority
 Separation of the juvenile justice system from the adult
criminal justice system,
 Establish specialized institutions for juvenile justice such as
Juvenile Courts or Benches, separate units in Police and
Government Attorney offices,
Analysis of Juvenile Justice System.........................................................................165

 Ensure proper implementation of existing provisions such as, prohibition

on torture, no use of handcuffs, arrest by plain clothed Police, separation
from adult detainees, compulsory legal representation,

 Introduce diversion mechanisms such as victim offender

dialogue, community mediation, community conference,
 Pay attention to infrastructure development, build at least a Juvenile
Reform Home in each five regions, provide separate detention places,

 Provide special training and education to the actors of the

juvenile justice system,
 Formulate effective and practical rehabilitation and reintegration policy
so that the children in conflict with the law become a good citizen,

 Establish a data bank compiling data related to juvenile justice,