Act

The Electronic Transactions Act, 2063 (2008)

All laws Acts

Type
Act
Year
२०६३ BS
Status
In force
Category
खण्ड १०: सञ्चार तथा विज्ञान र प्रविधि · Volume 10: Communication, Science and Technology
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 Electronic Transactions Act gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures. Where a law requires information or a document to be in writing or printed, an electronic record kept following the Act's procedure is treated as meeting that requirement, and a record authenticated with a secure digital signature is legally valid.विद्युतीय (इलेक्ट्रोनिक) कारोबार ऐनले विद्युतीय अभिलेख र डिजिटल हस्ताक्षरलाई कानूनी मान्यता दिन्छ। कुनै कानूनले सूचना वा कागजात लिखित वा छापिएको रूपमा हुनुपर्ने भनेको भए पनि ऐनको प्रक्रिया पूरा गरी विद्युतीय अभिलेखका रूपमा राखिएमा त्यो शर्त पूरा भएको मानिन्छ, र सुरक्षित डिजिटल हस्ताक्षरबाट प्रमाणीकरण गरिएको अभिलेख कानूनी रूपमा मान्य हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Preamble, p. 1; Sections 3–9, pp. 6–8
  • The government appoints a Controller (with deputy controllers and staff) to license and supervise Certifying Authorities that issue digital signature certificates. No one may act as a Certifying Authority without a licence from the Controller; licences must be renewed and can be suspended or cancelled, and the Controller can inspect Certifying Authorities and their computer systems.डिजिटल हस्ताक्षर प्रमाणपत्र जारी गर्ने प्रमाणीकरण गर्ने निकायलाई इजाजत दिन र नियमन गर्न नेपाल सरकारले नियन्त्रक (उपनियन्त्रक र कर्मचारीसहित) नियुक्त गर्छ। नियन्त्रकको इजाजतपत्र नलिई कसैले प्रमाणीकरण गर्ने निकायको काम गर्न पाउँदैन; इजाजतपत्र नवीकरण गर्नुपर्छ र निलम्बन वा रद्द हुन सक्छ, र नियन्त्रकले प्रमाणीकरण गर्ने निकाय र तिनको कम्प्युटर प्रणालीको जाँचबुझ गर्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 13–22, pp. 11–14; Sections 26–28, pp. 15–16
  • The Act defines computer offences, including theft or alteration of source code, unauthorised access to a computer, and damaging computer systems or data (each punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 200,000, or both). Section 47 makes it an offence to publish or display electronically material banned by other laws, or material against public morality or decency, material spreading hatred or disturbing harmony between communities, or material that harasses women, with up to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 100,000, or both, and one and a half times the penalty for repeat offences.ऐनले कम्प्युटर सम्बन्धी कसुर परिभाषित गरेको छ, जस्तै कम्प्युटर स्रोत संकेत (सोर्स कोड) चोरी वा हेरफेर, कम्प्युटरमा अनधिकृत पहुँच, र कम्प्युटर प्रणाली वा सूचनामा क्षति पुर्‍याउने (प्रत्येकमा तीन वर्षसम्म कैद वा दुई लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिबाना वा दुवै)। दफा ४७ ले प्रचलित कानूनले निषेध गरेका सामग्री, वा सार्वजनिक नैतिकता र शिष्टाचारविरुद्धका, घृणा वा द्वेष फैलाउने, विभिन्न जातजाति र सम्प्रदायबीचको सुमधुर सम्बन्ध बिगार्ने वा महिलालाई जिस्क्याउने सामग्री विद्युतीय माध्यममा प्रकाशन वा प्रदर्शन गर्नेलाई पाँच वर्षसम्म कैद वा एक लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिबाना वा दुवै सजाय, र दोहोर्‍याएमा अघिल्लो सजायको डेढी सजाय तोकेको छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 44–46, pp. 23–24; Section 47, p. 24
  • Computer offences are to be heard by a three-member Information Technology Tribunal (a law member as chair, an IT member and a commerce member), with appeals to an Information Technology Appellate Tribunal within 35 days. Until the Tribunal is formed, the district court has jurisdiction. Cases are brought by the government, police investigators must seek help from the Controller or experts, and offenders can be ordered to compensate victims.कम्प्युटर सम्बन्धी कसुरको मुद्दा कानून सदस्य (अध्यक्ष), सूचना प्रविधि सदस्य र वाणिज्य सदस्य रहने तीन सदस्यीय सूचना प्रविधि न्यायाधिकरणले हेर्ने र त्यसको निर्णयउपर ३५ दिनभित्र सूचना प्रविधि पुनरावेदन न्यायाधिकरणमा पुनरावेदन लाग्ने व्यवस्था छ। न्यायाधिकरण गठन नभएसम्म सम्बन्धित जिल्ला अदालतले मुद्दा हेर्छ। मुद्दा नेपाल सरकार वादी भई चल्छ, अनुसन्धान गर्दा प्रहरीले नियन्त्रक वा विशेषज्ञको सहयोग लिनुपर्छ, र कसुरबाट भएको हानिनोक्सानीको क्षतिपूर्ति भराउन सकिन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 60, pp. 27–28; Sections 66–71, pp. 29–31; Sections 75–76, p. 32

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

  • Unclear Section 47 has been used against journalists and social media users. Human Rights Watch reported in April 2019 that the Act 'has been repeatedly used to unlawfully muzzle speech', that Section 47 prohibits electronic publication or display of material deemed illegal, and that at least six journalists had been detained under the Act since February 2018.दफा ४७ पत्रकार र सामाजिक सञ्जाल प्रयोगकर्ताविरुद्ध प्रयोग भएको छ। ह्युमन राइट्स वाचले अप्रिल २०१९ मा यो ऐन ‘अभिव्यक्तिलाई गैरकानूनी रूपमा थुन्न पटकपटक प्रयोग भएको’, दफा ४७ ले गैरकानूनी मानिएका सामग्री विद्युतीय रूपमा प्रकाशन वा प्रदर्शन गर्न निषेध गरेको, र फेब्रुअरी २०१८ यता कम्तीमा छ जना पत्रकार यही ऐनअन्तर्गत पक्राउ परेको उल्लेख गरेको थियो। Human Rights Watch · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal HRW news release 'Nepal: End Attacks on Free Expression', 18 April 2019; Act s. 47, p. 24

Ideas to fix it

  • Review and reform the Electronic Transactions Act, 2006, and stop prosecuting journalists and social media users for peaceful reporting and online expression.विद्युतीय कारोबार ऐन, २०६३ को पुनरावलोकन र सुधार गर्ने, र शान्तिपूर्ण समाचार सम्प्रेषण र अनलाइन अभिव्यक्तिका लागि पत्रकार र सामाजिक सञ्जाल प्रयोगकर्तामाथि मुद्दा चलाउन बन्द गर्ने। Proposed by: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

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