Kathmandu, December 20

Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana said coordination among crime investigating agencies, prosecutors and court was necessary to ensure timely and effective delivery of justice for crime victims.

Inaugurating the second annual conference of Nepal Police and Office of the Attorney General here today, CJ Rana said the Supreme Court had been doing enough to ensure uniformity in implementation of two newly enacted civil code and penal code and hence the three-day conference of the detectives and prosecutors would be helpful in bringing uniformity in implementation of the two codes.

CJ Rana said the new penal code had incorporated some corrective measures to bring the required reforms in the criminal justice system and therefore there was greater need for uniformity in the implementation of the civil and penal codes.

Attorney General Agni Prasad Kharel said the objective of the conference was to ensure uniformity in implementation of the civil and penal codes. He said there was a need for reform in jails and detention centres to match the goals of the penal code that had envisaged jails and detention centre as correctional homes.

Kharel said all sections of society needed to play their roles to abolish caste discrimination and Chhaupadi (banishing women from home during menstruation). He said the Office of the Attorney General had increased success rate in government cases to 72.28 per cent and it was committed to increasing the success rate further.

President of Nepal Bar Association Chandeshwar Shrestha said the criminal justice system could be credible only when government agencies involved in investigation and prosecution acted in credible manner. “In the past, police would first keep the accused in their custody before hearing their arguments, but today there is a principle that the police should first hear the accused persons’ statement before deciding to keep them in custody,” he said, adding that police should always keep in mind that innocent people should not be victimised in the course of investigation. He said police should analyse evidence before indicting anyone.

Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal said victims of crime could get justice only when all the government agencies involved in investigation, prosecution and adjudication of justices coordinated with one another.  A total of 625 participants — 320 police investigators, 270 government lawyers and 35 observers are taking part in the three-day conference. The conference will adopt a declaration on Sunday.