Legal System of Nepal

Nepal is located in South Asia. It is geographically situated in southern asia, between china and india. The country achieved independence on 1768 (unified by prithvi narayan shah). The capital is Kathmandu.

Government Overview

Government Type: federal parliamentary republic Chief of State: President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023) Head of Government: Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025) Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet positions shared among Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners Administrative Divisions: 7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim National Holiday: Constitution Day, 20 September (2015) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Nepal is described as english common law and Hindu legal concepts International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015 Amendment Process: proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament; bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly; passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership; bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament; parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges) Judge Selection: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice; the chief justice serves a 6-year term; judges serve until age 65 Subordinate Courts: High Court; district courts

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of bicameral Note: note: violent student-led protests in early September 2025 led to the resignation of the Prime Minister; the President dissolved Parliament on 12 September 2015 following the swearing in of an interim prime minister and set elections for 5 March 2026; the major political parties have demanded reinstatement of the Parliament Lower Chamber: House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) (275 (all directly elected) seats) Electoral System (Lower Chamber): mixed system Upper Chamber: National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha)

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: yes Citizenship by Descent: yes Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Historical Background

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepali Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence after the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16, and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Nepal based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.