KATHMANDU: The Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives has unanimously approved the report on the Transitional Justice Amendment Bill. The committee's approval came after a session held at Singha Durbar on Thursday, with the report set to be presented at the next House session.
The bill, initially introduced by the government and referred to the committee for further discussion, faced disputes over four major issues. These issues were resolved through high-level political negotiations. A task force led by Nepali Congress leader and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was responsible for drafting the bill's language, with their report serving as the foundation for the committee's final approval.
The Transitional Justice Amendment Bill addresses several critical issues, including defining serious human rights violations, handling cases without free reconciliation agreements, providing compensation for conflict victims, and setting conditions for reduced punishment for offenders. It specifically defines serious violations as acts including coercion, sexual violence, deliberate killings, disappearances, and torture, excluding serious violations during the armed conflict.
The bill also clarifies that reconciliation does not preclude legal action against perpetrators of serious human rights violations. It mandates that the Commission notify the Attorney General in cases where the government is the plaintiff or where amnesty is not recommended. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for victim compensation and outlines the process for granting amnesty, which requires the victim's free consent.
