UN
Kathmandu, Sept 24 — Nepal’s House of Representatives has opened the door to a broader system of free legal assistance, unanimously approving a proposal to consider the Free Legal Aid Bill, 2083.
The bill seeks to address a basic problem in access to justice: having a legal right does not always mean having the means to enforce it.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobita Gautam told lawmakers that the proposed system is intended to take legal assistance closer to households, with participation from both government and non-government sectors.
Under the proposed framework, people seeking free legal aid would have to demonstrate that they are unable to afford or otherwise access legal remedies.
The bill goes beyond courtroom representation. It proposes mobile legal aid camps in coordination with local judicial committees, along with psychosocial counselling for people requiring additional support.
It also provides for legal experts to be brought in when necessary and for sign language services to make legal assistance accessible to persons with hearing and communication disabilities.
The proposed system would involve the Legal Aid Council, its Executive Committee and provincial governments. A record of lawyers providing free legal services would also be maintained.
During the discussion, lawmakers focused on a key question: whether the expansion of free legal aid will also improve the quality of representation.
They stressed that poverty should not determine whether a person can effectively defend a legal claim or seek justice. The challenge, they said, will be to ensure that free legal assistance is not merely available on paper but provides meaningful and quality representation in practice.
