Criminal
2017 Penal Code replaced the Muluki Ain
The National Penal (Code) Act 2074 (2017) and the Criminal Procedure Code replaced Nepal's century-old general code. They introduced statutory limitation periods for prosecuting most offences.
Governing law
- National Penal (Code) Act, 20742017
- National Criminal Procedure (Code) Act, 20742017
- Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act, 2074
In practice
The Code abolished the death penalty in line with the Constitution and set graded imprisonment terms. Its statutory limitation periods are unusual and consequential: many offences cannot be prosecuted after a fixed period from the incident, which has been criticised in the context of conflict-era and sexual violence cases. Transitional justice for the 1996-2006 conflict runs through separate commissions whose mandate has been repeatedly extended.