All News

Due to the absence of a juvenile bench in the district court, handling cases related to children has become challenging. District Judge Narayan Prasad Parajuli stated that, since there is only one bench in the district court, the general bench is currently being used to handle juvenile cases.

Registrar Ujwal Neupane reported that the court handled 55 juvenile cases in the fiscal year 2023/2024. Of these, 41 decisions have been made, 14 cases are still pending, and one child is currently in a correctional home following a decision.

Neupane explained that although it was recommended to have a separate room for the juvenile bench, this has not been possible due to the lack of appropriate building structure. There is a legal requirement that cases involving children, which are sensitive, should be handled in a closed space to ensure confidentiality. Neupane noted that while a notice is posted on the door indicating the confidential bench, the cases are processed in other benches. Cases involving sexual abuse, rape, and abduction of children are required to be discussed in a confidential space. In the last fiscal year, the court registered a total of 667 cases, including those transferred from the previous year.

The case is estimated to be around the same in the current year. According to Registrar Neupane, 510 cases (76.46 %) were decided by the District Court in the last financial year. The Section 55 (3) of the Juvenile Justice Procedure Rules, 2006, provides for the establishment of a Juvenile Court. However, the absence of a Juvenile Court in the district has created challenges in administering justice in cases involving children.

Ishwar Thapa