From Custom to Courtroom: The Informal and Formal Justice Systems in the Manang and Narphu Valleys

This research paper aims to depict the structure and some of the current changes of the justice system in the Narphu and Manang Municipalities. The new Constitution of Nepal in 2015 mandated the establishment of one judicial committee in each municipality and rural municipality in the entire country. That’s 753 judicial committees. This is just one example of the recent and rapid change that the justice system in Nepal is currently undergoing. These new implementations of government bodies for justice aim to “mitigate the inefficiencies of the formal legal system and bridge the formal/informal justice divide. ” In both Narphu and Manang, 1 informal, or community justice has always existed. Community justice has been the past, but government justice is quickly becoming the future. Now, both of these rural municipalities’ justice systems are shifting, changing with the introduction of government offices and police posts even in villages where roads cannot reach. This report compares and contrasts both the community justice and government justice systems. It examines how each one deals with conflict, who is involved, and analyzes the process and decisions made behind the scenes.