Mediation Act, 2068

What does it do?

• The Act (the Mediation Act) aims to settle disputes quickly, cheaply and simply through mediation. Disputes under an agreement providing for mediation must follow that procedure; any dispute that can lawfully be compromised — whether or not a case has been filed — may be mediated if the parties wish. Parties may ask at any stage to have a pending case mediated, and the court or adjudicating body must then refer it; it may also refer cases it considers suitable.मेलमिलापमार्फत छिटो, सस्तो र सरल प्रक्रियाबाट विवाद समाधान गरी न्यायमा पहुँच बढाउन यो ऐन बनेको हो। मेलमिलापको व्यवस्था भएको सम्झौताअन्तर्गतका विवाद सोही प्रक्रियाबाट समाधान गर्नुपर्छ; मुद्दा दायर भएको होस् वा नहोस्, कानूनअनुसार मिलापत्र हुनसक्ने कुनै पनि विवाद पक्षहरूले चाहे मेलमिलापबाट समाधान गर्न सकिन्छ। विचाराधीन मुद्दा जुनसुकै तहमा भए पनि पक्षहरूले निवेदन दिए मुद्दा हेर्ने निकायले मेलमिलापमा पठाउनुपर्छ, र उपयुक्त ठानेका मुद्दा आफैँ पनि पठाउन सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Preamble, p. 1; Section 3, pp. 3–4
• Mediators must be Nepali citizens aged at least 25, hold at least a bachelor's degree, have completed prescribed mediation training and have no conviction for crimes of moral turpitude. They are certified for three years by the Mediation Council, which can cancel certificates for fraud. Parties may choose mediators themselves, through a mediation institution's published roster, or with the help of the local government, which keeps a list of qualified mediators.मेलमिलापकर्ता हुन नेपाली नागरिक, कम्तीमा २५ वर्ष उमेर पूरा भएको, कम्तीमा स्नातक, तोकिएको मेलमिलाप तालिम लिएको र नैतिक पतन देखिने फौजदारी कसुरमा सजाय नपाएको हुनुपर्छ। मेलमिलाप परिषद्ले तीन वर्षका लागि प्रमाणपत्र दिन्छ र जालसाजी गरे रद्द गर्न सक्छ। पक्षहरूले आफैँ, मेलमिलाप संस्थाले सार्वजनिक गरेको सूचीबाट, वा योग्य मेलमिलापकर्ताको सूची राख्ने स्थानीय तहको सहयोगमा मेलमिलापकर्ता छान्न सक्छन्। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 4–6, pp. 4–5; Sections 20–24, pp. 12–15
• A Mediation Council, chaired by a sitting Supreme Court justice named by the Chief Justice on the Judicial Council's recommendation, with secretaries of the law and local-development ministries, a Deputy Attorney General, the Nepal Bar Association's general secretary, and business, mediator and civil-society members (including women), regulates and monitors mediation; its secretariat is in the Supreme Court. Institutions providing mediation must have their rules approved by the Council. The Act also provides for community mediation by local groups, with adequate representation of women.न्याय परिषद्को सिफारिसमा प्रधान न्यायाधीशले तोकेका सर्वोच्च अदालतका बहालवाला न्यायाधीशको अध्यक्षतामा कानून र स्थानीय विकास मन्त्रालयका सचिव, नायब महान्यायाधिवक्ता, नेपाल बार एसोसिएसनका महासचिव, उद्योग–वाणिज्य, मेलमिलाप क्षेत्र र नागरिक समाजका प्रतिनिधि (महिलासहित) रहेको मेलमिलाप परिषद्ले मेलमिलापको नियमन र अनुगमन गर्छ; यसको सचिवालय सर्वोच्च अदालतमा रहन्छ। मेलमिलाप गर्ने संस्थाले आफ्नो कार्यविधि परिषद्बाट स्वीकृत गराउनुपर्छ। स्थानीय समूहमार्फत सामुदायिक मेलमिलापको पनि व्यवस्था छ, जसमा महिलाको उपयुक्त प्रतिनिधित्व सुनिश्चित गर्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 25–27, pp. 15–16; Sections 33–34, pp. 19–20
• What a party says during mediation cannot be used as evidence in a later case, and the process is confidential. A settlement reached through mediation binds the parties; for court-referred disputes it must be carried out within 45 days, failing which the body concerned enforces it on application. Rules are made by the government in consultation with the Supreme Court.मेलमिलापका क्रममा कुनै पक्षले भनेको कुरा पछि मुद्दामा प्रमाण लाग्दैन र प्रक्रिया गोप्य राखिन्छ। मेलमिलापबाट भएको समाधान पक्षहरूलाई बाध्यात्मक हुन्छ; अदालत वा निकायबाट पठाइएका विवादमा मिलापत्र ४५ दिनभित्र कार्यान्वयन गर्नुपर्छ, नगरे निवेदनका आधारमा सम्बन्धित निकायले कार्यान्वयन गराउँछ। सर्वोच्च अदालतसँग परामर्श गरी सरकारले नियम बनाउँछ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 37–40, pp. 21–22; Section 48, p. 24

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.

Where does it conflict with other laws?

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

Regulations and rules made under it

• मेलमिलाप सम्बन्धी नियमावली, २०७० In force