- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०५३ BS
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड ४: आन्तरिक प्रशासन · Volume 4: Internal Administration
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- The Act forbids torture of anyone held in detention, including during investigation, inquiry or trial, and defines torture as physical or mental torture of a detained person, including cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Detainees should be medically examined, where possible by a government health worker, when they are detained and released, with a copy of the report sent to the District Court. Hardship that naturally comes from lawful detention is not torture.अनुसन्धान, तहकिकात वा पुर्पक्षका क्रममा वा अन्य कुनै किसिमले थुनामा रहेका कसैलाई यातना दिन पाइँदैन; थुनामा रहेका व्यक्तिलाई दिइने शारीरिक वा मानसिक यातना र निर्मम, अमानवीय वा अपमानजनक व्यवहारलाई यातना भनिएको छ। थुनामा राख्दा र छोड्दा सम्भव भएसम्म सरकारी स्वास्थ्यकर्मीबाट शारीरिक र मानसिक अवस्था जाँच गराई त्यसको प्रतिवेदन जिल्ला अदालतमा पठाउनुपर्छ। कानूनबमोजिम थुनामा रहँदा स्वाभाविक रूपमा हुने कष्टलाई यातना मानिँदैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 2–3, pp. 1–2; Section 11, p. 4
- A victim (or, if they cannot, an adult family member or lawyer) may claim compensation in the District Court within 35 days of the torture or of release. The court decides by summary procedure and may award up to Rs 100,000, paid by the government, taking into account the pain suffered, loss of earning capacity, age and family duties, treatment costs and, if the victim died, dependants' needs. Family members may also ask the court to order a medical check of a detainee within three days, with treatment at government cost.पीडित (वा उजुरी दिन नसक्ने अवस्थामा परिवारका उमेर पुगेका सदस्य वा कानून व्यवसायी) ले यातना दिइएको वा थुनाबाट छुटेको ३५ दिनभित्र जिल्ला अदालतमा क्षतिपूर्ति दाबी गर्न सक्छन्। अदालतले संक्षिप्त कार्यविधिबाट हेरी नेपाल सरकारबाट बढीमा रु. १,००,००० क्षतिपूर्ति भराउन सक्छ, जसमा पीडाको गम्भीरता, आयआर्जन क्षमतामा ह्रास, उमेर र पारिवारिक दायित्व, उपचार खर्च र मृत्यु भएमा आश्रितको आवश्यकता विचार गरिन्छ। परिवारले थुनुवाको शारीरिक वा मानसिक जाँच गराउन निवेदन दिए अदालतले तीन दिनभित्र आदेश दिन सक्छ, र उपचार सरकारी खर्चमा हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 5–6 and 8, pp. 2–3
- If torture is proven, the court orders the agency to take departmental action against the government employee responsible; government attorneys may defend the employee at the office chief's request. A victim must apply to the Chief District Officer within a year of the final decision to receive the compensation, which must be paid within 35 days. Claiming compensation does not bar separate criminal proceedings under other laws.यातना दिएको ठहरे अदालतले दोषी सरकारी कर्मचारीमाथि विभागीय कारबाही गर्न सम्बन्धित निकायलाई आदेश दिन्छ; कार्यालय प्रमुखले अनुरोध गरे सरकारी वकिलले त्यस्ता कर्मचारीको प्रतिरक्षा गर्न सक्छन्। अन्तिम निर्णय भएको एक वर्षभित्र पीडितले प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीसमक्ष निवेदन दिनुपर्छ, र ३५ दिनभित्र क्षतिपूर्ति दिनुपर्छ। यस ऐनबमोजिम क्षतिपूर्ति मागेकाले अन्य कानूनबमोजिम फौजदारी कारबाही चलाउन बाधा पर्दैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 7, 9–10 and 12, pp. 3–4
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Outdated The UN Committee against Torture found that the definition of torture in section 2(a) of this Act is not in line with the definition in the Convention against Torture, and was concerned that perpetrators faced only departmental action. The definition in section 2(a) has not been amended since.यस ऐनको दफा २(क) मा रहेको यातनाको परिभाषा यातनाविरुद्धको महासन्धिको परिभाषाअनुरूप नभएको, र दोषीमाथि विभागीय कारबाही मात्र हुने व्यवस्थाप्रति राष्ट्रसङ्घीय यातनाविरुद्धको समितिले चिन्ता व्यक्त गरेको थियो। दफा २(क) को परिभाषा त्यसयता संशोधन भएको छैन। UN Committee against Torture · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal UN CAT, Conclusions and recommendations on Nepal, CAT/C/NPL/CO/2, paras 12 and 24; Act s. 2(क), p. 1; s. 7, p. 3
Ideas to fix it
- Ensure that acts of torture, including attempt, complicity and participation, are criminal offences, and that accused officials are suspended or reassigned during investigation and promptly prosecuted.यातना र यातनाको उद्योग, मतियार तथा संलग्नतालाई फौजदारी कसूर बनाउने, र आरोपित अधिकारीलाई अनुसन्धानका बेला निलम्बन वा सरुवा गरी तुरुन्त अभियोजन गर्ने। Proposed by: UN Committee against Torture (CAT/C/NPL/CO/2) UN Committee against Torture
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.