Nepal

The landlocked country of Nepal is in south Asia.  The capital and largest city in Nepal is Kathmandu. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, was born in Nepal.

Parliamentary democracy was introduced into Nepal in 1951; however, it was suspended by monarchs twice after this period. The Nepalese Civil War took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, and led to the proclamation of a secular republic in Nepal. This led to the end of the world’s eighth largest Hindu monarchy. Nepal is a member of the United Nations, as well as Non Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative.

Until 1990, the country was a monarchy which was governed by a king. A large scale political reform took place at this time resulting in the formation of a parliamentary monarchy. The king was head of state and prime minister the head of the government. The executive is made up of the King and the cabinet (Council of Ministers). Nepal is the only country in Asia which has proposed the idea of  same-sex marriage, and is the only country to have abolished the death penalty in Asia.

The country is governed by three defined branches, the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches.  In the judicial branch, each district in Nepal has different court systems. The court of first appearance, criminal and civil courts, and the Court of Appeals. There are also 14 zonal courts. There are also five regional courts. The highest court in Nepal is the Supreme Court. In addition to deciding cases dealing with constitutional questions, the court is also empowered to issue writs of habeas corpus. Although the Supreme court is the highest court, the king can grant pardons or remit sentences levied by this, and other lower courts. In Nepal,  Special tribunals hear cases, and there is no trial by jury, for cases of treason or terrorism.

The National Law Review covers news and stories from Nepal and its international relations with other countries. Topics include immigration issues, work requirement waivers, and labor and employment, among other legal topics and news stories.