The government and the UNDP on Wednesday launched the Enhancing Access to Justice through Institutional Reform (2018-2020) project aimed at enhancing access to justice of women, poor and vulnerable groups in Nepal.

The $4.6 million project, to be implemented through the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLJPA) in association with the Office of the Attorney General and the Nepal Bar Association, is funded by the Norwegian government and the UNDP, the ministry and the donor agency said in a joint statement.

Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal Lasse Bjørn Johannessen and UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer had signed the agreement at the ministry in Singha Durbar on Monday. The Norwegian government will contribute $3.6 million and the UNDP $1 million to the project.

The three-year project aims to enhance people’s access to justice by helping the ministry make needful reforms in the legal aid regime in Nepal. The project will also support in effectively implementing the integrated legal aid policy, currently being finalised by the ministry.

The policy aims to provide free legal aid services to the poor and vulnerable people across the country, according to the statement.  

The project will help reform the criminal and civil justice systems by providing necessary technical and capacity support to the judicial committees set up at the local governments in provinces 2, 6 and 7, particularly with the aim to promote access to justice of women, poor and vulnerable groups, said Rajib Gautam, Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

In order to promote participation of women and vulnerable groups in the justice system, the project will provide scholarships, internships and other professional opportunities to law students coming from these groups. The project will explore opportunities to support effective delivery of justice for inclusive economic development through tailored trainings to the concerned stakeholders.