INTEGRATED OR ISOLATED? How state and non-state justice systems work for justice in Nepal District assessment report May 2012 b International Alert About International Alert International Alert is a 26-year-old independent peacebuilding organisation. We work with people who are directly affected by violent conflict to improve their prospects of peace. And we seek to influence the policies and ways of working of governments, international organisations like the UN and multinational companies, to reduce conflict risk and increase the prospects of peace. We work in Africa, several parts of Asia, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and Latin America, and have recently started work in the UK. Our policy work focuses on several key themes that influence prospects for peace and security – the economy, climate change, gender, the role of international institutions, the impact of development aid, and the effect of good and bad governance. We are one of the world’s leading peacebuilding NGOs with more than 159 staff based in London and 14 field offices. To learn more about how and where we work, visit www.international-alert.org. The Consortium Partners About Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) (partner) was founded in 1995 with the aim of protecting and promoting women’s human rights enshrined within CEDAW. To this end, FWLD’s work focuses largely on the implementation of international instruments protecting these rights, such as UNSCR 1325. Main activities include research into the legal status of Nepali women, rights-based advocacy, public interest litigation, public education, media campaigning and training. At the community level, FWLD has a strong community support network of well-trained activists. This includes running over 450 “paralegal groups” in 23 districts across Nepal, comprised of 15 local women trained in gender awareness, GBV legislation provisions and community mediation. At the national level, FWLD works in close collaboration with government and is as a member of the government’s GBV steering committee, which also includes police and army representatives. For more details, visit www.fwld.org.np. About Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC) Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC) established in 1986, is an independent NGO with the aim of promoting and protecting the rights and interests of women and children in Nepal. At the policy level LACC lobbies government and policy bodies for legislative changes; at the macro and micro levels it provides free legal aid and services for women and children and conducts rights awareness and gender-sensitisation programmes. LACC has networks in 12 districts across Nepal, providing paralegal advice and legal aid to women and conflict victims, which include local lawyers, civil society activists and political parties. LACC is working in close coordination with the Nepal Bar Association at the central and district level to provide legal services for marginalised women and conflict victims. For more information, visit www.laccnepal.org. © International Alert 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Layout by D. R. ink, www.d-r-ink.com INTEGRatED OR ISOlatED? HOW StatE AND NON-StatE JUSTICE SYSTEMS WORK FOR JUSTICE IN NEpal DISTRict ASSESSMENT REPORT 2 International Alert Acknowledgements This report presents primary research and an analysis of district assessments carried out in Nepal in the summer of 2011. These assessments were conducted by the Forum for Women Law and Development (FWLD), the Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC), and International Alert. Research was carried out by Lok Hari Bashyal, Gita Shah, Bhim Kasinger, Shyam Sundar P. Shah of FWLD; Shashi Adhikari, Sharda Subba, Sadhana Shrestha, Chhabi Banskota, Janaki Tuladhar and Ram Babu Ghimire of LACC; and Man Bahadur Bhandari and Rabina Shrestha of International Alert. District reports were written by Lok Hari Bashyal of FWLD, Sharda Subba of LACC and Man Bahadur Bhandari and Rabina Shrestha of International Alert, and edited by Charlotte Onslow and Rebecca Crozier of International Alert. Introductory and analytical sections were written by Charlotte Onslow and Rebecca Crozier, with contributions from Sadhana Ghimire Bhetuwal, Rabina Shrestha and Man Bahadur Bhandari. This report is a product of the “State and Non-State Partnerships for Inclusive Justice” project, which seeks to to strengthen the effectiveness, inclusivity and accountability of the formal justice sector in responding to the needs of the Nepali people, including vulnerable and marginalised groups. For more information on this project please visit www.fairjusticenepal.org. This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of International Alert, Forum for Women, Law and Development and the Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. Integrated or isolated? How state and non-state justice systems work for justice in Nepal 3 Table of contents Acronyms 4 Glossary of Terms 5 Executive Summary 7 1. Introduction 9 2. Banke 10 3. Jumla 18 4. Kailali 25 5. Mahottari 34 6. Panchthar 41 7. Sunsari 48 8. Overall Analysis: Point of Interest 56 9. Conclusion 60 Annex 1: District Assessment Methodology 61 4 International Alert Acronyms CA Constituent Assembly CAM Court Annexed Mediation CDO Chief District Officer CeLRRd Centre for Legal Research and Resource Development CPA Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPSC Community Police Service Centre CPN (UML) Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) DAO District Administration Office DDC District Development Committee DfID Department for International Development DPO District Police Office DRG District Resource Group FGD Focus Group Discussion FWLD Forum for Women, Law and Development FY Fiscal Year GBV Gender-based violence Hrplcs Human Rights and Legal Protection Service Centre IJM Informal Justice Mechanisms JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency JSCC Justice Sector Coordination Committee KII Key Informant Interview LACC Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre NGO Non-governmental Organisation PLC Paralegal Committee RUDUK Rural Women’s Development and Unity Centre SGBV Sexual and Gender-based Violence SP Superintendent of Police TAF The Asia Foundation UCPN(M) Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNOCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs VDC Village Development Committee WCDO Women and Children’s Development Office WCSC Women and Children’s Service Centre Integrated or isolated? How state and non-state justice systems work for justice in Nepal 5 Glossary of Terms Access to justice The ability of people to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal institutions of justice, and in conformity with human rights standards1. Arbitration Arbitration occurs when a third party to a dispute is granted formal or informal authority to resolve the dispute and decide the resolution on behalf of the disputants. Badhagar / Bhalmansa A person selected by an assembly of local villagers in the Tharu community who is trustworthy, knowledgeable and of good moral integrity in order to lead the village and settle disputes. \ Pancheti The Pancheti system is mainly practiced within the Yadav and Tharu community. A Pancheti is simply a gathering of villagers to solve a problem. Maulabi and Hazi Muslim religious leaders who facilitate for settling disputes of the Muslim community that is in line with Islamic law. Informal justice mechanisms Informal justice mechanisms (IJMs) are any non-state controlled process through which people provide justice, resolve grievances and disputes and in some cases promote peace. They include community-based informal systems of justice which have their roots in the cultural traditions of Nepal, as well as development organisation-supported dispute-resolution mechanisms which derive their structure and operation from international standards for the provision of informal justice. Maijan Maijan is a system of caste-based traditional dispute resolution in Madhesi communities in Mahottari and neighbouring districts. Mediation A dispute resolution system whereby a third party (usually a group of mediators) helps disputants reach a resolution on their own without enforcing, coercing, compelling, or pressuring them. The ultimate resolution is reached by the disputants themselves and not suggested or put forward by a third party. “Mediation” means a process to be followed to settle a dispute or case with the assistance of a mediator2. Paralegal committee Community protection mechanisms established to initially address gender inequality at the grassroots level. The scope of paralegal committees has expanded to dealing with different disputes which generally involve mainly women and children, and gender-based violence issues. Now, paralegal committees have been expanded to all 75 districts of Nepal. This programme is largely supported by UNICEF, with necessary support from local organisations like FWLD. 1 UNDP (2005). Programming for Justice: Access for All. New York, p.5. 2 Nepal Law Commission (2011). ‘Mediation Act, 2011’, accessed 7th November 2011. Available at http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/