Nepal · Courts
Court structure of Nepal
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Supreme Court of Nepal
- Includes a five-judge Constitutional Bench.
- Appellate — High Courts
- One per province, with benches in additional locations.
- First instance — District Courts
- 77 courts of general civil and criminal jurisdiction.
- Local — Judicial Committees
- Local-level bodies mediating specified small disputes.
- Specialist — Special Court, Revenue Tribunal and Labour Court
- Corruption, tax and employment matters.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeKathmanduSupreme Court of NepalExtraordinary original jurisdiction under Article 133 to enforce fundamental rights and review the constitutionality of laws, final appeals from the High Courts, and a Constitutional Bench for federalism and election disputes.
- appellateProvincial capitalsHigh CourtsAppeals from the district courts, writ jurisdiction within the province, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious offences.
- first-instanceDistrict headquartersDistrict CourtsFirst-instance civil, criminal and family matters, and appeals from the judicial committees of local governments.
Found something out of date on Nepal · Courts?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.