Kathmandu, Oct 6: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam has said that criminal cases cannot be settled through mediation and that attempting to broker such settlements is punishable by law.
Speaking at a meeting of the Federal Parliament’s Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee on Monday, Gautam said criminal cases do not fall under the scope of the Mediation Act.
She said the law primarily covers civil and commercial disputes that can be resolved through mutual agreement between the parties.
Gautam said new provisions have been proposed to make the mediation process more systematic and accessible. Under the proposal, in district courts with five or more judges, a judge designated by the chief justice may also serve as a mediator.
However, a judge who acts as a mediator in a case will not be allowed to later hear or rule on the same case if mediation fails.
“Criminal cases cannot be settled through mediation. Any attempt to broker such a settlement is punishable under the law,” Gautam said. “The Mediation Act mainly deals with civil and commercial disputes that can be resolved through agreement between the parties.”
She said the proposed changes were intended to make mediation easier and more effective.
“In district courts with five or more judges, a judge designated by the chief justice may serve as a mediator. However, if mediation fails, that judge will not be allowed to hear the case later,” she
People’s News Monitoring Service
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