Laws
Laws
Every federal law, Act, ordinance and regulation — what each does, where it falls short, and where laws collide.
What is this?
Nepal’s federal laws — the Constitution, Acts, ordinances, regulations and orders — each with its own page, explained in plain language with the gaps and overlaps that official reviews have documented.
Why does it matter?
Laws shape almost everything about how Nepal grows — how easily a business can start, how quickly a road gets built, how fairly a citizen is treated. Many of our laws are old, overlap with each other, or leave gaps that can be misused, and new laws can be slow to pass when governments depend on coalitions and many interests compete for influence.
Policy Nepal view
Our view: lawmakers’ first job is the law itself
- The most important job of our lawmakers is to make and amend laws: review Acts and ordinances, close loopholes, remove clashes and unclear wording, and keep laws in step with a changing society.
- Bringing budgets and projects to a constituency matters, but it is mainly the government’s work. Lawmakers serve us best when they choose focus areas, build expert teams, work with ministries and champion better policy — and they deserve to be judged on that work.
- Time in Parliament is most valuable when it is spent fixing the law. Raising concerns with the government is part of an MP’s role, but the lasting change comes from finding the loopholes that let rules be bent, bringing related laws into line with each other, and amending them so the same problem does not return.
- Clear, consistent laws are also one of the strongest protections against corruption. Where rules are vague or contradict each other, public money and power are easier to misuse — in how policies are made as well as in individual decisions. Closing those gaps protects every citizen.
Trade-offs: MPs who focus on law-making may be less visible to voters at home; MPs who focus on local projects can blur the line between those who make the rules and those who spend the money.
This is our institutional view, not a neutral fact. It does not endorse any party, and it does not affect how we present any party, person or record.
Every federal law we could find in official listings — the Constitution, Acts, ordinances, regulations, rules and orders — each with its own page. We are working through them to explain what each does, where it has gaps or loopholes, and where laws conflict with each other.
Start with these laws
The laws that shape most of public life: the Constitution, local government, anti-corruption, the right to information, parties, tax, education, health and work abroad.
- Constitution of Nepal Explained here
- Local Government Operation Act, 2017 Explained here
- Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 1991 Explained here
- Right to Information Act, 2007 (2064) Explained here
- Political Party Act, 2073 Explained here
- Income Tax Act, 2002 Explained here
- Education Act, 1971 Explained here
- The Public Health Service Act, 2018 Explained here
- Foreign Employment Act, 2007 Explained here
Federalism: powers, duties and legal conflicts →
Compare responsibilities across federal, provincial and local government, with provision-level evidence and questions for legal review.
The Constitution of Nepal
The highest law. Every other law on these pages must be consistent with it; a law that conflicts with it can be struck down by the Supreme Court.
- Constitution of Nepal Explained here
Use the tabs above for Acts, ordinances, regulations, rules and orders. Each has its own page with a search box.
About this catalogue
Built from the Nepal Law Commission, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Nepal Gazette (2080–2083) and Parliament’s ordinance records. Where official lists disagree on whether a law is in force, the status shows as “not yet confirmed”. Original Nepali titles are retained. Where no published English title is available, Policy Nepal supplies a labelled title translation for navigation; this is not an English translation of the legal text. Repealed laws are not listed; their pages stay online for the record.